Last Clear Chance
by bibi 13ca
Summary: *It's truly unbelievable how a few seconds can change the course of your entire life. How something could affect everything and change the way you look at things. Change the way you think, the way you feel. Change yourself*. This is the case for Alicia Florrick when she heard that Will Gardner had been shot and might not make it.
1. Chapter 1

**N: **Hello, I am back with more stories with our favorite couple. Here is the first chapter of the 3 chapters story I have been threatening you with for weeks.

The next two chapters are almost done as well, until then, enjoy the first one! Please do review, I love reading your thoughts.

Even though some of the words are taken straight from TGW, I don't own anything related to the show. *wish I did*

**Reality**

"Alicia, I need to talk to you for a minute," Eli said pressing a hand on her shoulder. Alicia turned towards her husband's campaign manager. He gave her a weird stare back. There was a soft frown across his forehead that she didn't like. It meant trouble, she knew that from experience.

"Can't it wait?" she asked making a subtle gesture around them. They were surrounded by important people. Or so she'd been told. That was why she was at this gathering. Not to mention she had to introduce Peter any minute. It had been Eli's idea. He had been the one insisting she had to be at this event. If it were up to her, she would've been at work. At her firm. _Her_ firm. It felt surreal. Since the moment she left Lockhart/Gardner she's been feeling as if she had been in someone else's body. Fighting for clients. Worrying about money. Relying on Cary Agos of all people. Going against Will in court. Will… Will hating her. She had known from the beginning the danger that Will would hate her was part of the deal. She had hoped he wouldn't, yet knew all along he might. Like a fool she had thought she could handle it. There was a certain lingering pain in his eyes now. A pain that was hurting her just as much as it was hurting him. Every day she had to fight the urge to just drop to her knees and beg for his forgiveness. Because she owed him her career. She owed him her drive to succeed. Hell, she owed the man her very soul. Because no one knew, no one could know, but Will Gardner was keeping Alicia from losing her soul. From simply giving in to the darkness within. A darkness everyone had and hers was lingering right at the surface, has been since the day she turned on the TV and found out her entire life had been a lie.

Eli Gold let out a sigh and shook his head. Alicia frowned. Eli Gold didn't sigh. He scoffed, he tittered, he did anything but sigh. She swallowed hard and got up from her seat excusing herself. Peter looked at her confused as she passed him and she gave him a fake smile in reassurance that she will be right back. Intrigued and a little concerned, she followed Eli outside.

"What's wrong?" she asked once they found themselves out of earshot from the rest of the party.

"Alicia it's," Eli started but paused once again letting out a sigh. Ok, she was about _this_ close to going into panic. Why was the notorious Eli Gold choosing this moment to get a speech impediment?

"Damnit Eli what's wrong? Is it Grace, Zach, are_"

He shook his head. "No, the kids are fine. It's Will Gardner," he said in a rush. She frowned once more. This was about Will? Now she was truly confused. "There's been an incident at the court house. He…Will's been shot."

"What?" Alicia asked in a whisper. She was sure she head him wrong. She must've heard him wrong. Will couldn't have possibly been _shot_. These sort of things didn't happen in real life. They happened in movies and silly books. Not to people she knew. Not to people she cared about.

"Will has been shot. They don't know if…" Eli passed a hand through his hair. "They don't know if he is going to make it."

Alicia lost her balance. For a split second, her mind went blank. Then random words started echoing in her head as if through think fog. _Shot. Will has been shot. Shot. Don't know if he is going to make it. Will has been shot._ She could vaguely hear laughter from the room next to them. The noises seemed to come from thousands of miles away. _Will has been shot._ Nothing made sense anymore. _Shot_. Alicia just saw Will yesterday_. Will…shot_. God, what was she going to do if he… _Will has been shot_.

Eli grabbed Alicia's arms firmly in his before she could collapse to the floor. "Breathe. I got you, just breathe," he urged but she didn't seem to have heard him. Her face turned so pale, her hands were shaking slightly in his and her eyes were vacant. "Alicia," he called a little louder. "Please breathe, you have to breathe," he went on. This time she must have heard him because she squeezed his hand. She took in a sharp, shaky breath. "In," he coached and took a deep, steady breath himself. She mimicked him. Thank God! He thought. He would've had a great time trying to explain to other people that the first lady of Illinois passed out because her lover had been shot. "Out," he proceeded and she followed. He did this a few times, until her eyes turned towards him. She abruptly let go of his arms and took a step back. With another deep breath she re-arranged her clothes and hair. Damn, this woman was made of strong stuff. Eli Gold would bet against anyone who wanted to play poker against Alicia Florrick. No one would've been able to tell she was a mess within just by looking at the outside. But Eli was good at reading people. Always has been. He knew better. He knew what Will Gardner meant to Alicia Florrick, maybe even better than she did.

"Chicago General. Go!" Eli urged.

Alicia looked in the direction of the room they had vacated only minutes before. To her it somehow seemed to have been years ago. Time split into two. The time before she got the news that Will Gardner had been shot and the time after. "I…" Damn! If only the buzzing in her head would subside. She couldn't hear her own thoughts. Whenever she was trying to think of words, all she could hear were: _Will had been shot. They don't know if he's going to make it_. They came to her over and over like a broken vinyl record.

"Alicia, you are in no condition to go back in there. Just go. I will introduce Peter. Go!" he said once more. She nodded. Not a hundred per cent sure what she was agreeing to, she took a few steps away from Eli. She stopped abruptly when he called her name.

"Alicia," she turned to face him. "Uh, the exit is the other way," he said pointing to the left. "Want me to get someone to drive you?" he asked.

Alicia closed her eyes for the briefest of seconds. She never thought she would feel so much gratitude towards Eli Gold, yet she did.

"No thank you Eli. I am fine," she said and walked passed him without another glance back.

She should've been the politician, not her husband. Eli thought as he watched her go.

***Second Chances***

If asked, Alicia wouldn't have been able to recall a single turn she'd made or a single red light she had stayed at on her way to the hospital. She parked in a handicapped space, not caring if they were going to give her a ticked or even tow her car. All she cared about was that the spot was close to the entrance. She ran inside, leaving her car unlocked. She spotted Diane first. Pacing the hall, her blond, perfectly coifed hair got Alicia's attention. As soon as the woman spotted Alicia she walked towards her and pulled her into a tight hug. It seemed to Alicia Diane had been waiting for someone to hug for a long time. She returned the affectionate gesture.

"What happened?" Alicia asked as they broke apart.

"Will has been shot three times," it had been Kalinda who answered. Alicia turned her attention towards the petite brunette. She pressed her fingers to her lips. Three freaking times? Three bullets had hit Will. "They rushed him in here about forty minutes ago. They won't tell us anything. They keep saying we're not family."

Alicia wasn't sure if Kalinda was still talking as she turned around and made her way towards the desk.

"Hello, I am looking for any information you might have on William Paul Gardner. He's been brought in about forty minutes ago with gunshot wounds," she said. The woman behind the deck looked at Alicia over her glasses before taking them off. In a very bored tone that made Alicia want to slap her, she said: "As I told your friends, I can't tell you anything. Since you are not family, I can't divulge any information with regards to a patient."

"I am his wife," Alicia said in a dead pan voice lifting her left hand where her wedding band was resting on her ring finger. It was a wedding band that tied her to another man, but the woman didn't need to know that.

The woman's eyes opened wide. "Oh, I am sorry, I didn't_"

"Please, I need to know what's happening with my husband," Alicia explained.

The woman nodded. "Of course you do," she murmured and put her glasses back on. She stared at the computer screen for what Alicia thought had been hours.

"He is been rushed into surgery about twenty minutes ago. One of the bullets went through, but two of them need to be removed. The surgery will take some time. I won't know more until it's done."

"Thank you," Alicia mumbled.

She turned back towards Diane and Kalinda. Kalinda was no longer there and Diane was seated on one of the waiting room chairs.

"He_"

"I've heard," Diane interrupted.

"I need to go," Alicia said softly but instead of leaving she took a seat next to her former boss. "Do his sisters_"

"I have called a few minutes before you arrived. They are on their way, but might not be able to be here until tomorrow," Diane interrupted once more. Alicia nodded. She took advantage of the momentary silence to check her phone. She was sure once her absence was noted people will call. She had three voice mails, five missed calls and two text messages. She dismissed the messages first as they were both from Cary asking questions about clients. The first voice mail was from Kalinda. She had tried to reach Alicia before calling Eli. The second message was from Zach, letting her know he was going to study with a friend after school and be home around eight. When she reached the third message, she let out a gasp. It was a message from Will. With shaky fingers, she pressed on 'listen' and placed the phone to her left ear.

"_Alicia,"_ Will's voice made Alicia close her eyes for a second. She was sure that if she would've been standing, she would've collapsed. _"__Mr. Gardner, we're just about ready here."__ That had not been Will, but the judge. Then came Will's voice again: _ _"__Hold, hold on your honor …_ _I'll call you back_."

No, that can't be it, Alicia thought as she replayed the message two more times. What did Will want to say to her? She could throttle that judge. Why did he have to interrupt? Those could be Will's last words to her. As soon as the thought of Will being gone forever reached her mind, Alicia felt her sanity slip away. A sharp pain settled in her chest. Her stomach seemed full of nods and she became extremely nauseous. She couldn't just stay there, she had to do something. Anything.

"He called me," Alicia said and Diane watched her confused. "Will called me at 11:30, he must've been in court, right?"

"Must've been on a break," Diane suggested.

"Was he upset?"

"At?"

"Me," Alicia said shakily.

"No, why?" Diane asked with a small frown.

"Candice came to our firm. We poached her just yesterday. She was one of Will's clients."

"Will had dealt with all of that," Diane explained.

"You sure?" Alicia asked.

"You can blame yourself for anything you want, but Will was moving fast on a lot of fronts. He was…" her voice broke and Alicia looked away, giving her former boss a few seconds to pull herself together.

"He is," Alicia said firmly. She knew what Diane wanted to say. She understood.

"Yes," Diane agreed. "He is."

Silence fell between them once more. Alicia's phone vibrated in her hand. Peter's name appeared on the illuminated screen. She hit 'ignore' without a second thought. Her nausea returned with a vengeance.

She stood up so abruptly that Diane jumped in fright. "I have to go," she mumbled. Diane nodded. "I will call if there's any news," she reassured Alicia who murmured a feeble 'thank you' and left without another word.

***Second Chances***

Alicia had no idea where she was going until she got there. To the court house. She took the steps two at the time, almost ran through corridors and stopped only once in front of the room she knew Will had been in only an hour before. There was yellow tape everywhere. A few of the door windows were broken. Pieces of glass shattered all over the floor. Since no one was there, she let herself in. The room looked pretty much the same as always with the exception of a few items on the floor and the yellow tape. Slowly, she made her way towards the front. Will must've been seated to the left with the defense. She spotted a shoe and then… Alicia let out a strangled cry of fear and pain. The pile of blood was so big. It made her feel dizzy and nauseous, but she couldn't look away from it. How could Will be ok after losing so much blood? A dry sob left her lips and she grabbed the backrest of a chair for support.

"Sorry Mam, but you're not supposed to be here," she heard a voice from behind her. She turned around, doing her best to pull herself together. She seemed to constantly have to pull herself together for one reason or another. Had had to for years now. It was exhausting. She was exhausted.

"I am sorry," she said softly. "My friend's been shot," she went on, her voice barely audible.

"Such a tragedy. I am sorry," the old man said. He was dressed in a uniform. He must be an officer of the court, Alicia thought.

Alicia gave a short nod. "Were you here? Do you know what happened?" she asked hopefully.

"I wasn't here, but my friend was. Apparently this kid Jeffry Grand. He started firing everywhere. He shot and killed the witness on the spot. Mr. Gardner tried to calm him down, tried to take the gun from him. I don't think he meant to hit him_"

"He shot my friend," Alicia almost screamed.

"Yes," the guy looked at his shoes for a second. "I am sorry. Is Mr. Gardner going to make it?" he asked.

For what seemed like the hundredth time, Alicia took in a slow steady breath just to keep from falling apart. "I don't know. He is in surgery."

"I hope he pulls though Mam. I like Mr. Gardner," the guy said and Alicia felt like hugging him. She felt connected to everyone who knew Will. Anyone who ever came in contact with him. "ASA Polmar pulled Mr. Gardner away and covered him with his body to prevent further shots, I think he was hit too. Do you know if he is alright?"

"Polmar?" Alicia asked not familiar with the name.

"Yes, new guy. Brought in from New York I think. He stayed with Will the whole time until the paramedics came. At least that's what Bob said."

Alicia swallowed hard. She had to force it down her throat and felt it all the way down. It felt like she was swallowing tennis balls. "Do you know if they took Mr. Palmer to the same hospital?" she asked.

"I would think so Mam."

"Did you see Will during recess?"

"No Mam."

"Thank you. I will go before I get you in trouble."

***Second Chances***

Twenty minutes after her conversation with the court sheriff, Alicia was back at the hospital, only in a different wing looking for a different man. ASA Palmer. After a few tries, she had finally found him. The nurse walked her to his room. He was seated in a wheelchair. His arm in a cast, secured close to his body with a band wrapped around his neck.

"Hi," she whispered. She had worked so hard to find him and now that she was in front of the man, she didn't really know what to say.

The guy looked at her for a few seconds before responding. "Hi, I'm Finn."

"Alicia," she said softly. One again, she felt awkward, out of place. The guy had been shot. He probably didn't feel like chatting with strangers.

"Yes, I recognized you. You used to work with Mr. Gardner, yes?"

"Yes," she answered automatically. "Are you in pain?" she asked. To her surprise he giggled.

"Not now. They gave me something. It made me a little loopy," he said apologetically. "I am sorry about Will. They told me he is in critical condition. I like the guy. He was… argument after argument and putting down my witness… he had me at the trial. I was losing," he chuckled again. To her astonishment, Alicia found herself smiling too. The way he was talking about Will. Well, people often talked like that about Will. As if thunderstruck. She knew the feeling all too well.

"I heard you tried to protect him," she said and he nodded subtly.

"Yes, I did. That wasn't too smart now was it?" he said and she smiled at him again. Maybe not, but she was grateful and she told him so.

"Thank you," she said and he nodded once more.

"Yeah," he looked around the room, then back at Alicia. "He kept…" he stopped and looked away once more. Alicia guessed it was a mixture of the drugs they gave him and emotions. The guy had gone through an incredibly traumatic event. "He kept moving…moving his lips like he was trying to say something," he finally said. "I was right above him. And he kept…opening his mouth. I don't know…" he stopped for a second and drew in a deep breath. "If I start making sense would you tell me?" he asked and Alicia nodded.

"You're making sense," she assured him in a shaky voice.

"It's pretty awful isn't it?"

"Yes," she said softly.

A silence fell between them for a minute. Enough to give Alicia time to pull herself together once again.

"Just before your bargaining session, Will called me. At 11:30," she let out a shaky breath. She hopped so hard that this guy – this very brave guy who had tried to pull Will out of harm's way – would be able to answer her question. "Do you know why?" she finished the question.

"No," he answered simply and her heart dropped.

"He didn't say anything?" she tried again. She couldn't give up that easily. She had to do anything, anything in her power to find out what Will wanted to say to her. It was essential. She didn't know exactly why, but she knew she had to try her hardest to find out.

"No," his answer came just as simple, just as painful. She nodded in understanding, too devastated to use actual words. "I had some pictures on my phone," he went on and Alicia opened her eyes a little wider. "My wife, my son. He asked me about them."

Alicia gave him a small smile. "What did he ask?"

"Their names," he answered and she nodded again.

"I should let you get some rest," she said taking a few small steps towards the door.

He pushed his chair a few millimeters. It seemed to have taken all his strength. "Could you tell the nurse to come?"

"Yes, of course. Thank you Fin."

She wasn't sure if she got her answer. Actually she was pretty sure she didn't. But at least she now knew that Will wasn't mad at her. Her conversation with Mr. Palmer didn't really have the desired effect, yet it had helped Alicia. She didn't know why, but it made her feel slightly better.

***Second Chances***

Alicia drove all the way home and back to the hospital three times. She couldn't seem to make up her mind. What was expected of her and what she wanted were again at odds with each other within herself. All her life, Alicia has been able to put aside her own feelings, her own desires for 'the greater good' for the benefit of others. This time it seemed that what she wanted thrummed what was expected of her. As she got back to the hospital, she took out her phone. Surprising herself, she called Eli instead of Peter or one of her children.

"Eli, I…"

"Alicia, are you alright?"

"Yes, I am, I_"

"I am not Peter, nor am I anyone else who will judge you Alicia. So, really, are you alright?" he pressed and Alicia smiled sadly. It was funny how out of all the people in her life, her husband's campaign manager had come to read her the easiest.

"Honestly, I don't know. I am back at the hospital now. I am going to stay until…" her voice broke.

"Alicia, don't worry about anything. I will talk to Peter. I will stay with the kids myself if I have to. You do what you have to do, I will make sure people leave you alone."

For the second time within a three hour period, Alicia felt a rush of affection for the man. They had gone through so much together. It had been hard for Alicia to admit it, but they had a lot in common too. She liked to think that they came to respect one another over the years.

"Thank you Eli. Really, thank you."

She hung up the phone and turned it off placing it back in her bag. This time she had parked in the visitors parking. She stopped at the machine and paid the price for 24 hours stay.

Once she got in, Diane gave her the latest news.

"It's not good," the woman said and Alicia grinded her teeth. "The doctors were able to remove the other bullets. But he lost a lot of blood. He is still not stable. I need to get to the office. I am sure people found out by now. I need to…"

Alicia nodded. "Go! I will stay. Don't worry if there is any change I will call."

"Alright," Diane said. She picked up her handbag, buttoned her coat and left.

After the sounds of Diane's heels completely disappeared, Alicia took a seat on one of the chairs. She placed her own hand bag in her lap, hugging it close to her body. As if the object was giving her comfort. Other people used loved ones for this sort of things. But the truth was that no one could give Alicia comfort. Not at this moment. Not when Will Gardner was more dead than alive. Not when no one in her life even knew just how much Will meant to her. She wasn't sure she had known either. Not until she had heard Eli tell her that Will's been shot and that he might not make it.

About an hour after Diane's departure, Kalinda came back.

"Oh good. Would you stay here, I need to…I want to go to the police station," Alicia said. "I have to…I want to_" hell, Alicia always prided herself on always being able to express herself rather coherently and here she was unable to put more than two words together.

Kalinda stopped her from finishing the sentence. "I know what you want. You want someone to pay for this. So do I," the young woman said and Alicia gave a firm nod. Kalinda was – in Alicia's opinion – the closest thing to a mind reader. She simply knew things. Things other people didn't. "I know you and I are not as close as we used to be. I now you don't trust me about much. But trust me about this. I will find out what happened and I will make sure that whoever is responsible will pay. I…Will means a lot to me too. He was…he gave me a chance. He fought for me. He had my back," Kalinda explained, reminding Alicia of the words Will used when he found out she was leaving the firm. Yes, Will Gardner was a fighter. He was loyal to the people he cared for and he fought for the people he believed in. And he had believed in her. Which had made Alicia a better lawyer. She wasn't sure she would've gotten far without Will. Actually, she was sure she wouldn't have. He had given her a shot when no one else did. He had fought for her and believed in her. He had encouraged her and praised her. Pushing when she needed to be pushed and helped her when she needed help. He was the reason she was where she was. "Let me do this for him. I will do right by Will. I promise," she finished.

"Ok," Alicia said simply.

"Alicia," Kalinda started uncertainly. "I think you should go see him. If they let people see him, I think you should go see him. And tell him…tell him how you really feel about him. I know you two ended things a while ago," Alicia gave her a skeptical look. "I am an investigator Alicia. With an acute sense about people and a knack for details," Kalinda explained and Alicia smiled at the young woman. "I know how you feel about him. He should know too. He shouldn't die now knowing," Alicia's eyes watered at her former best friend's words. "Promise me you will go tell him."

Alicia cleared her throat. "I promise," she said shakily.

"Good, I am going now," she said and with that she was gone leaving Alicia alone once more.

A few hours later a young nurse brought Alicia a blanket. Alicia used her coat as a pillow and lay on two chairs. Her head was buzzing and throbbing in pain. Her eyes felt as if someone threw sand into them. Her whole body ached. She was so tired she could no longer stay upright. As soon as the noises of the nurses making the rounds subsided, Alicia fell asleep. Too bad in only lasted about thirty minutes…

***Second Chances***

"Who is she?" a female voice asked.

"I don't know. Think we should wake her?" another voice came. At first Alicia thought she was dreaming, but she soon realized she wasn't. Her body wouldn't have been aching in pain all over if she were dreaming. As soon as she realized she definitely wasn't dreaming, she thought Diane and Kalinda must've returned. But the voices didn't sound familiar. "She looks familiar," the voice of the second woman said.

"She looks uncomfortable," the other said and Alicia had to agree. She was uncomfortable. A slight move confirmed her suspicion. Her neck was stiff as hell. She opened her eyes and was hit by the florescent lights. She felt those cold, unnatural lights all the way in her brain. It hurt. She thought some sleep might help with her headache. It hadn't helped.

"Hello," one of the voices she had heard earlier greeted her.

Alicia maneuvered herself in a seating position. She looked up. There were indeed two women standing before her. Before she had a chance to answer to the polite greeting, a nurse came from the back.

"Mrs. Gardner," she called looking straight at Alicia.

She cleared her voice. "Yes," she answered.

"The doctor will be out to talk to you in a minute," the young nurse said and Alicia nodded. The girl grabbed some papers from the desk and disappeared behind the blue doors once more. Once Alicia turned her attention back to the two women, they were both watching her confused.

"I am sorry but who are you?" one of them asked.

"Yes, and when did our brother get married?" the other demanded and Alicia understood. Those were Will's sisters. She recalled vaguely Will talking about them in college. Loud, overprotective and very nosy. That's what he had said. He cared much for them, but they weren't very close.

"Oh, I…they wouldn't tell me anything when they brought him in so I told them I was his wife. I am Alicia. Will's friend. We used to work together."

She barely finished her sentence when both women started talking at the same time.

"The Alicia?" one asked,

"Alicia Florrick you mean? The governor's wife?" asked the other.

The sisters looked at each other.

"Will told me about an Alicia he had met at Georgetown. I was surprised nothing came of it. He told me she was the one."

Will had said that? He definitely never told her that, Alicia thought.

The two women turned their attention to Alicia once again. "Yes to both," she said. "I am the Alicia from college. Unless Will knew another Alicia which I doubt. We were friends at Georgetown. And yes, I am Peter Florrick's wife," she explained.

"I am Audra," the younger looking blond woman said stretching out her hand. Alicia gave it a firm squeeze.

"Sara," the other woman said, but didn't offer her hand. "How long have you been here for?" she asked. Alicia looked at her watch.

"About nine hours," she answered. And according to her watch, she only slept for a little over thirty minutes.

"And they didn't tell you anything?"

Just as Alicia was about to answer, the doctor came in through the door. Alicia thought he looked grumpy. Of course if she would've been surrounded by people in pain and dying, she might've been grumpy too. He took off his glasses and placed them in the pocket of his coat as he made his way toward her.

"Mrs. Gardner, I am doctor Fell. I was the one who took your husband in charge and did the surgery to remove the other bullets."

"Other? Just how many times he was shot?" one of the sisters asked, Alicia couldn't tell which one. Her attention was focused on the doctor. He watched the two women behind Alicia in confusion.

"Uh, these are Will Gardner's sisters," she mumbled. Was it her job to do the introductions? She felt weird. Out of place. They were family and she was…she didn't know what she was really.

"Nice to meet you. Can we take a seat Mrs. Gardner?" he asked and she nodded, following him to the chairs she just vacated. Thinking no one was watching her, Alicia placed a palm against her chest. She couldn't help the way her heart fluttered every time a doctor or a nurse addressed her 'Mrs. Gardner'. In the corner of her eyes, she noticed Sara looking at her and made to adjust her blouse.

As soon as they were all seated, the doctor cleared his voice. "Your husband slipped into a coma, about an hour ago. We've done everything we could. Unfortunately there had been a lot of damage. His body went into shock. He is as stable as he can be now and breathing on his own but... The chances that he will wake up are…" the doctor took in a sharp breath and Alicia did the same. Her palms turned into fists. Her nails were digging deep into her skin but she felt nothing. "They are not good," he finished and Will's younger sister let out a sob.

"There is nothing else you can do?" Sara asked.

"Unfortunately no, we've done all we could. It's up to Mr. Gardner now."

The buzzing in Alicia's head at returned louder than ever. She felt the need to sit down, but she soon realized she was already seated.

"You may see him now. He's been moved to room 408. If you fallow me," he said and stood up. Alicia remained seated and no one seemed to notice that she wasn't following them. The sisters were walking with the doctor and asking questions. Their voices becoming fainter and fainter as they were getting further from the waiting room. As soon as the group was out of sight, Alicia rushed into the nearest bathroom and vomited. There wasn't much to get out. She hadn't eaten anything since the previous morning at 7am. Her body was convulsing, but nothing came out. It felt terrible. As if her insides were trying to get out instead of the content of her stomach.

A soon as she became sure she was done, she washed her face and rinsed her mouth with water. She took out a piece of paper and a pen and wrote something in a rush. After drying her hands, she got out and waked straight to the desk.

"Hello," she said in a hoarse voice.

The young woman gave her a sad little smile. "Hello Mrs. Florrick," she said and Alicia smiled back. She was busted.

Alicia placed the piece of paper she took out in the bathroom on the counter. "I… this is my cell," she took in a deep breath. "Please, could you let me know if there's any change?" she asked. Her voice seemed to have left her. It was fable, barely audible. It sounded gruff and weak.

"I will. And I will leave word to my colleague who will replace me in a few hours to do so as well."

Once again Alicia felt like unlikely people were treating her with kindness. A kindness she may not deserve.

"Thank you so much." With that, she pulled her handbag closer to her and left the hospital. Pulling out of the underground parking, Alicia felt she had been there a few months not hours. The events of the day weighing on her. It felt as if a truck decided to park on top of her. Once she got to her apartment, she remained in the car a few minutes longer. She pulled out her phone and turned it on. To her surprise she only had one missed call from Cary. Eli had done a good job keeping people away. She made a mental note to be nicer to him from now on.

She made her way to her apartment. Once inside she dropped her keys on the table. Thinking no one was there, she also let her handbag drop to the floor. A second later Peter came out of the kitchen. "What are you doing here?" she asked without any sort of intonation in her voice. He walked up to her. He was only a few inches apart. She vaguely thought he was too close, but had no straight do to anything about it. Hell she had no straight to even say something about it.

"I am really sorry about Will," he said.

"I know," she murmured. Alicia knew he must not be devastated, but she also knew Peter didn't actually wish Will any harm. It wasn't as if she could blame him. Will was after all the man she chose to have an affair with. He took another step forward and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. Alicia knew some sort of response was expected of her, but she just couldn't seem to do it. She wanted to be left alone. People were constantly around her, asking if she was alright, asking her all sorts of things. She just wanted to be alone. She still had no idea what had been the reason Will had called. The thought was still obsessive on her mind. Maybe if the pain would go away she could think.

Once he pulled back, Peter gave her a long stare that definitely meant something. She was just way too tired to decipher it at the moment.

"I thought you may not want to be alone," he mumbled. She frowned.

"Go home to the kids Peter, it's late. I am fine. Tired, I just want to sleep," she said. Peter opened his mouth then closed it. "I am fine," she said again, not sure if she was trying to convince him or herself.

"Are you sure?" he asked and she nodded. "Alright. If you need anything_"

"I am fine, really," she interrupted.

He raised his eyebrows at her but said nothing. He took his coat and left. Alicia immediately went and locked the door behind him. As if afraid he might return. She heard the elevator doors open and close and then…silence. She was finally alone. Leaning against the door, she took in a deep breath. A second one. After the third one, her exhale turned into a long cry that sounded like a wounded animal. Before she knew it she was sobbing. Her whole body was shaking. Tears were pouring from her eyes one after another soaking her cheeks and neck. She gave up trying to wipe them away, there were too many, coming down too fast. Slowly, she let her body sink to the floor and buried her face in her palms. Her pain was too much, too raw, simply crying couldn't get it out. Not after she had suppressed it all day. It had bottled up and now it had to come out. So she screamed. It was a raw, throaty scream, but it had relived some of the pressure in her chest and throat so she did it again. She had no idea how long she sat there on the floor. Long after her sobs turned into dry sobs. Long after she had no more tears left to cry. When she finally got up, she half waked, half dragged herself to bed. Without changing, without even taking off her blazer, she crawled into bed.

***Second Chances***

"Did you eat all the cookie dough ice-cream?" Will asked. Alicia pulled the covers over her head.

"No," she said, her voice muffled by the blanket.

"You are such a liar," he said lifting the covers and getting underneath them from the foot of the bed. "Now I will have to eat you instead." He started biting softly into her skin, from her ankle to her calf on one leg. Then the other.

"Ahh, nooo!" Alicia screamed letting out a loud giggle as he got behind her knee. He knew full well she tickled there. Will had come to know her body better than anyone else ever did. With a patience Alicia never knew he had, he had spent hours exploring every inch of her skin. So now, Will Gardner knew precisely what he was doing. He showed no mercy, licking and biting until she started laughing out loud. Once he got to her thighs, he slowed his pace. Her laughs turned into sharp intakes of breath. Using the tip of his tongue, he traced a wet line from her inner thigh to her hipbone. Her whole body quivered. The man had mad skills in bed. Alicia refused to think of all the women he had practiced on before her. Even at Georgetown he had had a reputation with women. Those rumors were to blame for many of her wet dreams in which Will Gardner had been the protagonist. Rumors that only now Alicia was able to confirm had been well founded.

Before she could fully grasp what was happening, her panties had been removed. Will's tongue started a slow waltz all around her core. Only after her hips began to buckle towards his mouth, did he finally flicker his tongue over her swollen bundle of nerves. She let out a half scream half mew. Round and round and round his tongue went, making her head spin. Just when she was on the verge of a mind blowing orgasm, he pulled away.

"Will…" she cried.

She felt him smirk against her sensitive flesh. Damn him, he was toying with her. "I have to punish you for eating all my ice-cream," he said. He gave her a long lick from her opening to her clit as if he was licking the ice-cream he was craving. "Now I am going to lick you up until I am fully satisfied before I let you cum," he went on, making Alicia shiver at his words.

It wasn't fair to compare the two men, but she couldn't help herself. Will liked to talk dirty. Peter was quiet. At least with her. She had heard him talk to his prostitutes. The problem had been that Peter was mostly submissive in bed…and so was she. Will Gardner didn't have that problem. He was a naturally born dominant. Will had no problem giving orders in bed. He did that in a strong voice that knew with a hundred per cent certainty that it will be obeyed. Pointless to say Alicia found that rather arousing.

"I could make it up to you Sir," Alicia suggested in a soft voice. Will stopped. He pushed the cover away so they could get some air and pulled himself up to her level.

"How?" he asked. She looked at him, biting her lip. He had that twinkle in his eye that meant he was up to no good. The truth was it trilled her. Everything she did with Will felt ten times more intense than anything else she felt before. It terrified her too…

"In whichever way you wish," she whispered batting her lashes.

Another smirk. "Very well," he said and got out of bed. Alicia followed without thinking. He grabbed a pillow from the bed and dropped it at his feet. "Kneel," he order and Alicia obeyed at once.

She was wearing Will's shirt and nothing else as he had already removed her boy shorts. She arranged the clothing as she kneeled on the fluffy pillow. "Unbutton the shirt all the way but leave it on," he commanded.

Alicia licked her lips and raised her hands to her chest. One button undone. Two buttons. "Slower," he said. She looked up at him through her lashes and smiled. By the time she was done with all the buttons she was wet and he was hard. His underwear was doing a poor job keeping him in. Alicia could feel her palm tinkle with the desire to reach out and touch him. She knew it was going to feel hot, hard and smooth in her hand.

"You may take them off," Will said following Alicia's gaze.

Without any hesitation Alicia reached forward and took off his black boxers. His erection sprung free pointing straight at her. "Go slow," he said in a husky voice that sent shivers down her spine. She adored hearing him talk. She loved his strong confident 'lawyer voice' he used in court. She loved his authoritarian voice he used at his own firm. And she simply melted for his gruff, aroused voice he used in bed. "Let's see if you can make it up to me. I really did like that ice-cream," he went on and she smiled at him.

"Yes, let's see," she murmured. She took a hold of his shaft and used her tongue to circle the broad head. She twirled the tip of her tongue round and round a few more times before pulling away. Flattening her tongue, she liked him from the bottom to the top, letting the crown slip into her hot mouth. A deep growl came out of his throat. She repeated the move a few more times. Licking her lips, she looked up at him and proceeded to take him in her mouth once more. Only this time, not just the tip. Inch by slow inch, she went as far down as she could.

"Alicia," he breathed.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked innocently.

"No love," he mumbled thrusting into her fist. "Keep going," he demanded and Alicia did. She was only too happy to oblige.

A few more minutes later, Will pulled her up. "I need you," he said picking her up and laying her on the bed. "Now." He entered her slowly, giving her time to adjust to his size. Once he was all the way in, he pressed his thumb against her clit and started moving. Alicia's eyes rolled to the back of her head in pleasure. She let out a long, breathy moan. Will leaned forward. "I love hearing you moan," he whispered in her ear. He nibbled at her earlobe. Alicia came screaming Will's name. Her whole body convulsed and she bit her lip so hard she drew blood. After a few seconds, Will placed both his hands on her bottom, pushing up. He started rocking his hips back and forward, hitting Alicia's holly spot with every push. She closed her eyes moaning in ecstasy. Will's moves remained just as precise as he started moving faster. Faster. He was pupping into her mercilessly and she was lifting her hips to meet his every thrust.

"Will…God, I'm…oh, oh Gooood!"

She came once more, her walls tightening around him, squeezing him, demanding his seed. His release had been just as strong as hers. "Alicia!" he roared her name, his fingers digging into her skin. If Alicia wouldn't have been so high on her orgasm, she would've been in pain. That was them. Raw and passionate in a way that made her head spin and lose any ability to think clearly.

Suddenly a sharp noise pierced her ears. Fire alarm? She wondered.

Alicia opened her eyes and was confused by the change of scenery around her. She was no longer in Will's apartment, but her own. Then she remembered… Will was in a coma on a hospital bed with minimal chances of ever waking up. He was not with her in his apartment making love to her. It had been a dream. The dreadful sound she had heard hadn't been the fire alarm but her phone's alarm. Just as before she went to bed, her head was still throbbing in pain. She felt as if she had the world's worst cold. Every muscle in her body was in pain. Her nose was congested. Probably from all the crying. Even her throat felt sore. Briefly she wondered why, then she remembered screaming her pain to an empty apartment.

Reality sucked!


	2. Chapter 2

**N: **Alright, so this is the second chapter *duh*. I am not at all anything close to a medical professional, so I might *most certainly* be off on those matters. I must admit due to a combination of lack of free time and laziness, I didn't google it up either.

Still don't owe anything related to TGW *or Will and Alicia would've had their happily ever after*.

This picks up right after the last chapter ended. Enjoy! Please do take a minute to drop me a review, they truly mean a lot to me and help me with my other stories tremendously. Speaking of other stories, I have another one-shot that should be ready to put up next week, so keep an eye out. 

**Consequences**

Alicia dropped her clothes on the bathroom floor one by one and got in the shower. Once under the hot pouring water, her tears started falling just as hot down her cheeks. She had cried so much the night before, she was sure she had no more tears left. She had been wrong, plenty of tears left to shed. She closed her eyes and images of Will popped in one by one. The first time she met him. Him pitching and her watching him and cheering for him. The first project they ever had together in criminal law 101. First time they kissed. Her first day at work – at his firm – and him encouraging her. His distraught face when they lost a case he cared about. His smile when they won.

She let out a loud sob. No longer sure she could stay upright, she let her body glide against the cold glass wall. She sat down on the hard tiles, pulling her knees to her chest. The fear and pain of never hearing him talk to her. Of never seeing him smile at her. Never feeling his touch again… the pain of it all was so heavy. Pressing against her chest like a bulldozer. Once again, she cried until she exhausted herself.

Absent mindedly, she washed and towel dried. Instead of putting on the dress she left on the chair, she picked up her pajamas from the drawer.

Getting back into bed, she dialed Cary.

"Alicia, I heard, I am so sorry," he said as soon as he answered the phone. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Cary, do you mind handling Candice on your own? Ah and Mr. Brooks called for a meeting. I told him to pass by our offices today. Could you sit with him and see if you can sign him?"

"Of course," Cary answered.

"Thank you."

"Are you ok?" he asked.

Alicia took in a deep breath. People should really stop asking her that. Like, what did they think she was going to tell them? That no, she wasn't okay? That she was falling apart and had no idea what to do? That she found the idea of losing Will unbearable? No, of course not. She couldn't say those things. Because when people asked how she was, they never wanted the real answer. All they wanted was for her to politely lie to them and move on.

"Fine. Just think I'm coming down with something."

"Well, get better. Don't worry we'll hold down the fort, take as long as you need," Cary assured her. She simply thanked him and hung up.

***Second Chances***

"_We need an expert witness to say the fire was an accident. Can your friend Marc do it?" Alicia asked. Will threw his baseball into the air and caught it before turning towards Alicia. _

"_What's wrong with Tania, she already offered to help?" he asked. He resumed tossing his ball into the air as soon as the last word came out of his mouth. It was the ball he had caught on his first match, the ball she had made a little flower on along with the date to celebrate his first win. The truth was she loved watching him pitch. Actually, she loved watching him, period._

_Alicia rolled her eyes. "She is so in love with you she babbles. I can't have a babbling expert witness," she said and Will raised an eyebrow at her. _

"_She is dating Tommy Carrel, she isn't in love with me."_

_Alicia placed her book on the table and started massaging her temples. "You can't possibly be this oblivious," she said impatiently. "She loses the ability to put two words together whenever you're around. I have forensic psychology with her and she is perfectly fine there. You know why?" she asked. Just when Will was about to say something, she went on: "Because you are not in that class," Will was just about to talk once more, first syllable out of his mouth, but Alicia got there faster again "She is only dating Tommy because the end of the semester party is coming up and she doesn't want to go alone. They've only been dating for a week or so. He's been chasing her for months."_

_Seriously, how could it be a surprise to Will? He already knew half the girls in school were madly in love with him. Why wouldn't he believe Tania was? Just because she was dating someone else? That wasn't a good reason. Alicia herself was dating someone else and yet… she… ok so she wasn't entirely in love with Will Gardner, but wasn't indifferent when it came to him either. She liked him. He made her laugh and he made a great study partner too. They got along from the first moment they met. He was intelligent, witty and easy to talk to. Alicia tried. No, really, she did her best not to, but her feelings for her colleague and friend had progressed and evolved. If she was being honest with herself, Alicia would admit that she started to like him as more than friends quite some time ago. _

"_Fine, I will ask Marc. What about the witness? Think Jenny will do it? She was such a great plaintiff last time." _

_Alicia picked up her book and buried her nose in it once more. "She will if you ask," she answered absently. _

"_Seriously? You can't possibly think all the girls in the school are in love with me," he said in an exasperate tone._

"_Of course I don't. I'm not," Alicia said with a smile._

"_You lie. You adore me," he said with a smirk that made her stomach do a flip. _

_She rolled her eyes dismissively. It would never work between them anyway. He was…impulsive and seemed to attract trouble. He was also selfish and cocky and a well-known ladies man. Alicia was looking for someone serious, reliable, and stable. So unlike Will Gardner who liked to live on the edge. Liked to take chances and see how far he could go without actually breaking the law. Not for the first time Alicia thought Will wanted to learn the law just so he can bend it to his will. If anyone could do it, Will Gardner could. She admired that fire within him. That ability to approach a problem from a new – often nonconventional – angle. She admired his courage. She had never been very brave. She had thought about her and Will many times, but in the end her reason trumped her heart. It was just too risky. Oh and she was dating the perfect man. Peter Florrick was nice, polite and always on time. He was reliable. Will Gardner was the kind of guy who could break her heart in a way that it would never recover. Too much of a risk in the end. _

The memory from their time together at Georgetown brought once again fresh tears to Alicia's eyes. As she was about to slip into another crying marathon, the doorbell rang.

She held her breath. Maybe if she didn't move a muscle whoever it was would go away. It was Friday, so Peter would have the kids until Sunday. Jackie no longer came by. The rest of the people would've called before coming.

"Come on sis, I know you're there! I need your help," came Owen's voice. Damn, she forgot about her family. Her mom was in St. Louis with a new boyfriend, but her brother was still in Chicago. He must've heard.

With a curse, Alicia got out of bed and dragged her aching body to the door.

"You look dreadful sis," Owen said and walked inside without waiting for an invitation.

"Thanks," Alicia mumbled and closed the door behind her brother. It was too late to do anything about it, he was already inside. She shouldn't have opened the damn door. Any minute now he was going to ask her if she was okay and she would lie and say she was. People were so predictable. Except Will Gardner. Will always took people by surprise. At least he had always surprised her.

"A good friend of mine is in trouble with the law. I need your help."

Ok, that surprised her.

"Owen, there are thousands of lawyers in the city_"

"Yes I know, but he is my friend I want you. I trust you," Owen protested before she had a chance to finish her rebuttal.

Alicia tilted her head watching her brother intently. She knew exactly what his silly request was about. He wanted to distract her. And in a way, it worked. His crazy idea got her mind off Will for a second. For just a split second she didn't feel like her entire being was crumbling.

"Fine, tell him to call me on Monday and we'll schedule an appointment."

"Oh no, it will be too late. We need to go now. He could be arrested any minute. So, you have to pack for the road, chop, chop!" he urged.

"Pack?" Alicia asked confused.

"Oups, did I not mention that my friend is in Detroit?" he asked with a ridiculous grin.

"Detroit? I can't go to Detroit Owen. That's a five hours drive," she said exasperated.

"Nonsense. More like four hours and a half. We can grab lunch on the way, I know a place," he said and looked at her expectantly.

"Owen I can't. Work_"

"I called your office and Cary informed me you will be taking a few days because you have a cold. You and I both know you have no cold."

"I am coming down with something," she defended herself.

"No you are not. What you have is…well, Tylenol won't fix it."

"What if something_"

Owen interrupted her once more, anticipating what she was going to say. "Alicia, if there is any change someone will call you and we will drive right back. I promise. It's not as if there is something you can do. I was by the hospital this morning. The doctors say it could take hours or it could take months for him to wake up. I am simply offering you an alternative to lying in bed and feeling sorry for yourself while waiting."

He had a point. She wasn't used to her brother making so much sense. She had been afraid to go to work. What if she fell apart at work? People would've judged her. People always judged. And in a cruel way. But with Owen she was safe. Even if she lost it, he wouldn't care. He would be there for her without judgment, without being cruel.

"Alright, but we have to be back by Sunday evening."

"Deal," Owen said. "Now, you go pack, I really have to pee before we go."

***Second Chances***

Owen looked at his sister. She looked exhausted. He didn't remember ever seeing her so devastated. Alicia had always stayed so in control no matter what. Always so strong. And now she looked so fragile. His heart broke for her. Yet, he could bet his apartment in downtown Chicago that if asked if she was in love with Will Gardner, she would still deny it. People tended to think his sister was a good liar. They were wrong of course. The only person Alicia was exceptionally good at lying to, was herself. Maybe now was a good opportunity for him to convince her that being in love with Will wasn't a bad thing. Maybe he could finally convince her that there were worse things than divorcing your cheating husband.

"Ok, I have an idea. Let's play a game."

"Owen…" Alicia said his name as a warning. She wasn't in the mood for her brother's silly games.

"It will help you, I promise. We are going to pretend for a while that we are sibling and that we are actually close. And when I ask you something you will be honest and open about it."

Alicia rolled her eyes. Her brother was such a drama queen.

"So, what's the story with you and Will anyway?" Owen asked and Alicia shrugged. "You know the story already. We talked about this."

"Oh come on sis. We have a four hours' drive in front of us and I am dying to know the details. You never gave me the details."

"Really Owen I just don't want to talk about it."

"Please," Owen pleaded. "Pretty please! You guys didn't meet at his firm the first time. You knew each other from before, right? From school?"

"Yes. We… we met at Georgetown_"

"Really? First year?"

"Yes, first year."

Owen waited a few minutes, hoping his sister will continue with the story. When she didn't, he asked: "Weren't you already with Peter then?"

"I was," she answered simply.

"Oh intrigue," he looked at her briefly. "How come you never said anything?"

Alicia moved uncomfortably in her chair. "I sort of did," she said quietly. This was not something Alicia wanted to talk about. Not one of her proudest moments. For a minute she thought her brother decided to drop the subject. Alas, no such luck. She should've known better. All of a sudden he hit the brakes. Tires screeched loudly and her upper body jerked forward.

"Owen what the_"

"Mr. Georgetown? Will is Mr. Georgetown? The guy you almost broke up with Peter over? The guy who made you question everything?"

"You already knew this Owen," Alicia complained unimpressed by her brother's theatrics. Really, she always thought her brother should've ended up on Broadway.

"Well yes. I am acting surprised for effect. To encourage you to be honest and tell me the whole story."

"There is nothing more to tell. It was no big deal. Happened a long time ago." To herself, Alicia couldn't help but think that even now, Will still made her question everything. It was something she loved and hated about Will.

"Please!" Owen resumed driving but was doing so considerably slower. "You nearly dropped everything for this guy to follow him from Washington to New York. I think that constitutes as a big deal dear sister."

"But I didn't_"

Owen interrupted her yet again. "But this is wonderful. You're star-crossed lovers. So romantic," he went on and Alicia couldn't help the grin on her lips. She had thought the same thing after Will kissed her in his office what seemed like decades ago.

She shook her head abruptly to get back to reality. All her mind needed was the tiniest of nudges and could spend hours thinking about Will freaking Gardner. For some reason, even since he fell into a coma, memories of them surfaced more than ever before. Maybe he was sending them to her telepathically. Ok, so she _had_ lost her mind…

"Yes Will and I had a…thing in college. But it didn't go far. I did not go after him once we graduated."

"Only because you chickened out." Alicia rolled her eyes. "And then boring Peter proposed_"

Now it was Alicia's turn to interrupt. "Boring Peter, really?"

Owen shrugged. "Well he was boring. Now that he started sleeping with prostitutes, not so much," he went on. He looked at his sister in the corner of his eye. She seemed unaffected which surprised Owen. "Beware of the boring ones I guess…"

"Yeah," she said absently.

"Well, anyway. He proposed and you chickened out from doing anything crazy," Alicia scoffed. "Like following your heart."

"I loved Peter!" she protested.

"Yes, but you told me yourself that Mr. Georgetown gave you the cheesy romance novels feels. Butterflies in your stomach, week knees, the whole menu," he rebutted.

Alicia laughed surprising herself and her brother. "God, I was hoping you forgot that conversation."

Owen shook his head. "You kidding? It had been one of the most honest conversations we've ever had. It had been the most open you've ever been."

"I have been the drunkest I have ever been, you mean?"

They both laughed.

"Look, drunk or not, you've been honest," he said, taking another peek at his sister. She had never been one of those rebel, care-free people. Not even as a child. But he felt that once she had gotten married, it became worse. Always keeping everything bottled up inside. His sister hadn't needed someone to subdue her. On the contrary. Why did people tend to choose that which was worse for them anyway?

"Like I said. I was drunk. I can't be held responsible for my actions. I can barely remember what I said," she lied. Of course she remembered. She remembered how empty she felt inside too. It had been weeks…months since she'd last seen Will. She had been missing him. Her mind was still trying to make sense of her insane feelings for him. He had come into her orderly life and managed to turn it upside-down. Twice!

"No worries, I remember what you said. You said Mr. Georgetown made you weak in the knees. You said that_"

"Oh please don't! And stop calling him 'Mr. Georgetown' you know his name." Alicia begged.

"You held your breath every time he touched you," he went on as if there had been no interruption. Alicia stretched her hand, trying to cover her brother's mouth with her palm. Eyes darting from the road to his sister, Owen simply pushed her hand away. "And…and that he kissed you so good, you forgot your own name."

Alicia moaned in defeat. She let out a little cry and buried her face in her palms in embarrassment. Will could still make her forget her name with a kiss. She hadn't meant to start an affair with him that night they first slept together. No, that was meant to be just a one-time thing. But his touch, his kiss. His scent. They were addictive. Yeah, Alicia was an addict. The drug of choice: Will Gardner. Maybe she should've gone to AA meetings or something.

"No, wait, here comes the best part. You explained to me how he had been the best kisser you ever kissed," Owen continued and Alicia mentally thought that statement was still true. "Then you started rambling something about his hands on various parts of your body and fingers in your hair. I think I did suppress that part," Alicia gowned again. "My point is, you couldn't stop thinking about him. That had not been a simple crush Alicia. How long did it take you to get over him anyway?"

"A few days."

Owen turned to the right and frowned at his sister. "Ok, maybe a little longer," she went on and he raised an eyebrow, eyes still on her. "Ok, ok, it took me years. Now can you please watch the road?"

Smiling in satisfaction, Owen returned his attention to the task of driving. He had known that it had taken Alicia a long time to get over her 'crazy crush' – her words – no matter how much she had denied it at the time. Hell, the woman was in love with Will and was still denying it. Truth was, Owen never understood his sister. She had always been exceptionally good at denial and suppressed feelings. Such. A. Waist.

Only one hour and thirty minutes into their drive, they were already stopping. Owen swore that the tiny little café they stopped at had the best croissants he had ever had. Since she wasn't in an eating mood, Alicia had to take his word for it. She ordered a small smoothie for herself. She knew that not eating anything will only add to her dizziness and headache.

"Are you sure you don't want one?" Owen asked lifting his croissant.

"Very sure," she replied absently. She was once again lost in thought. This time, her mind re-living the first encounter she had had with Will Gardner.

_Alicia got out of the car and closed the door with her pinky finger. She could barely see due to the pile of books and papers in her arms so unsurprisingly, she bumped into the car to the left. "Sorry," she mumbled right before scoffing at herself. She had just apologized to a car. Great!_

"_I will need your insurance number for that."_

_The unexpected male voice startled Alicia. She jumped backwards and all her neatly stacked books and notes flew from her arms._

_Alicia Cavanaugh was not easily intimidated or impressed. Yet once her eyes found the owner of the sexy, confident voice, she simply had to stare. Yeah, polite or not, she couldn't seem to help herself. She couldn't say it had been the best looking guy she had ever seen, yet he had something she had never encountered before. A certain allure she couldn't put her finger on. He had a deep, penetrating, brooding stare. A pronounced nose that for some reason she found attractive as hell. And his mouth… the sexiest, most adorably pouty mouth she had ever seen. His half smile or smirk or whatever that was, was working for him. A shiver went through her entire body and she got a sudden urge to run and hide. She swallowed loudly._

"_Uhh, your car," she stammered. God! Had she lost her brain? She had half a thought to look down and see if her brain had fallen on the pavement along with her pile of books._

_He smiled broadly at her and her knees buckled. Yes, there was definitely something wrong with her. First she had lost her brain function, now basic locomotive functions. _

"_Pamela will survive. But I am sure she appreciates the sincere apology," he said in an amused tone. Alicia never thought someone could sound sexy, but this guy did. It wasn't just his voice. It was the way he pronounced the words. The way his mouth moved; barely, lazily. She shook her head._

"_You named your car?" she asked in disbelief._

"_Doesn't everyone?" he asked with a shrug. He took a few steps towards her and she took a few steps back. He smiled again and raised his hands above his head. "I come in pace. Just going to help you with your papers."_

_She looked down, surprised to find all her things on the ground. As if she forgot she had __**just**__ dropped them. "Oh, ok," she said softly. _

_They spent a few minutes in silence gathering papers from the ground. Once they were done, Alicia mumbled a clumsy "thank you," and walked away and into the building as fast as possible without actually running. Only once the door closed behind her she allowed herself to breathe again. A few hours later, thinking about it, she found the whole thing ridiculous. A guy made Alicia Cavanagh behave like a crazy person. It had been so foolish. A behavior so unlike her. And she couldn't figure out why. Yes, he had been cute and charming, but that wasn't enough to get her attention. At least, it hadn't been enough in the past. In the end though, she decided in didn't matter. She was sure she was never going to see that guy – whoever he was – again. She had been wrong. _

_The same night, orientation – a pool party at midnight – he was there. The center of attention, doing cannonballs. Alicia had been hiding in a corner, too shy to swim. When she saw him walk towards her she thought she was going to pass out. Her heart started beating so fast. And she could hear it in her ears. Boom-boom, boom-boom…it was loud, reverberating through her entire body. _

"_Hi there, I didn't have time to introduce myself during our last encounter. You ran out of there so fast. My name is Will," he said offering her his hand._

_She took his hand mostly on reflex. "Alicia," she said softly._

"_Alicia," he repeated the name. It sounded positively sinful coming from his pouty lips. She decided right then and there she absolutely adored the way Will said her name. _

_Two days later, criminal law 101 seat 35L and right beside her was none other than Mr. Charming with the red Porsche named Pamela. Of course now she knew his name was Will, but that didn't make him any less of a mystery to her. At the pool party he had chatted with her for hours even though women and men alike were trying hard to get his attention. As the hours passed she found it easier and easier to talk to him. It turned out he wasn't just charming and good looking. He was also smart and witty and he had a great sense of humor. He liked sports, music and horror movies. She shyly admitted horror movies frightened her. Alicia still thought he was a bit full of himself, but despite that she found herself liking him. _

_The teacher started to talk about some case that had been in the papers lately. In relation to euthanasia of all things. How depressing. He then proceeded to announce that the plaintiff was going to lose. At this statement Mr. Georgetown, aka Will, made a tusk sound._

"_What, you have a different opinion Mr." the teacher paused. _

"_Gardner. Will Gardner," he said in a disinterested tone. He might as well have said his name was Bond, James Bond. _

"_So Mr. Gardner, I take you disagree?"_

"_I do," he answered in a rush. Alicia thought he was way too cocky. To start disagreeing with teachers from the first class didn't seem like a good idea to her. _

"_Based on what you are disagreeing with me Mr. Gardener?" the teacher asked moving closer to their spot. Alicia bit her lip in anticipation. That was going to knock Will down a notch or two. She thought he could use it._

"_State V Jason," Will said. He turned his head slightly to the left to look at her. _

"_Excellent Mr. Garner. Everyone, turn to page fifty-six, State versus James," the old man said and Alicia shook her head in disbelief. Once her eyes glanced back towards Will, he winked at her. The nerve! But her stomach did clench at the gesture and without conscious thought, she smiled at him tucking her hair behind her ear._

"Alicia!" her brother yelled making Alicia jump in her seat. "What's the grin for?"

She looked at her brother confused. "Uh?"

Owen tilted his head. "You seemed miles away and had a silly grin on your face. I really want to know what you were thinking about."

"Oh," she said, but didn't develop. Owen's eyes opened wide, watching her expectantly. "Nothing important," she went on. She watched as her brother finished chewing the last bite of his croissant and sipped his coffee before turning his attention back to her.

"No," he said and despite herself Alicia giggled.

"What do you mean no?"

"I mean no, I am not accepting your explanation. Do you know how rarely you grin?" he paused, but didn't wait enough for her to answer. "In all my life I think I saw you grin a dozen times or less."

"Ok, ok. You reminded me of college. So I was remembering my first day at Georgetown."

"Was that the day you met Will?" he asked and she nodded with a smile.

"He was…oh he was cocky. He was stubborn and impulsive and getting in trouble every other day. But he was also brilliant and passionate. A dangerous combination of cleverness and an affinity to push boundaries."

"He sounds amazing. Why didn't you date him again?"

Alicia laughed bitterly. "Because he was also selfish, self-absorbed and kind of a jerk. Not to mention a notorious ladies' man."

"Oh that. Well, people change."

"Yes they do. I didn't think he did at first. When I started at Lockhart/Gardner I thought he was the same selfish, cut-throat guy I new in college. But…" Alicia stopped. She looked up from her glass to her brother. He was watching her so intensely she felt as if she was under interrogation.

"But what?" Owen pushed.

"But I was wrong. Yes, he is still cut-throat. He is still passionate and competitive and still likes to push the rules to the point of breaking. But even though he tries to hide it, he cares. He is a loyal friend," she let out a sigh. "That hasn't changed. When he takes a client, he defends them with everything he's got no matter what. Because he truly believes that everyone deserves a good defense. He cares about the people who work for his firm. No one knew but he was devastated to have to fire so many people. He had tried his best to avoid it. His methods dealing with it were not very orthodox, it's true. He did try to get the drug kingpin of Chicago as a client to get the money he needed," she smiled to herself. "It took me a while to see it. Yes, he does a lot of morally ambiguous things, but always for a good reason." Alicia stopped to take in a breath. She was fully prepared to go on, but when she looked at her brother she changed her mind.

"Alicia, you got something other people only dream of. You got a second chance at the love of your life. The kind of love you have with Will is the kind they write movies and novels about. The kind that happens despite rhyme or reason. The kind that consumes you. The kind you can burry deep inside but never be rid of. Hell if after nearly twenty years it rekindles, then it must be strong stuff."

Her brother had a point. "Owen," she said softly, but he shook his head to stop her from continuing.

"I know you still don't want to admit you love him. That's ok, you don't have to. As long as you know that it's because of fear not because you don't actually feel it. Because you can't explain it, because it's not proper and doesn't fit in your neat little plan. I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news sis, but you are a coward."

Again, the man had a point and Alicia found that the truth stings. And if she accepted that as true than she screwed up. So much time lost, so many opportunities… She could not think of it because when she did the buzzing was back and the pressing pain in her chest and the nausea. She just couldn't.

At her brother's request, Alicia told Owen stories about her and Will at Georgetown. She told him about the all-nighters they used to pull and how often times she would wake up in his arms on his couch. She told him about the mock trials and their quests to find the best people for their team. She told him about Will's very public breakup with Christine in their second year. About the pool party and the first time Will kissed her. She also told him about the Christmas party where she had kissed him at.

After every story Owen lost no time in giving Alicia his opinion. That her and Will were made for each other and they should've been together. Alicia insisted it wouldn't have worked.

They had been in Detroit for only fifteen minutes when Alicia's phone started ringing and the words 'Chicago General' appeared on the screen.

"Owen," she murmured in a worried tone. Taking a peek at his sister's phone, Owen pulled into the first parking he found. He took her hand in his.

"I am here," he said softly. Alicia nodded and raised the phone to her ear.

"Alicia speaking," she said. Her voice sounded steady and sure as always, but Owen could see her eyes. The fear in her eyes made him squeeze her hand a little tighter.

"Mrs. Florrick, my colleague asked me to inform you of any change in Mr. Gardner's condition," a woman with a very high pitched little voice said.

"Yes," she said weakly.

"Well, I am sorry to inform you," at this point Alicia felt sure she was going to faint. The only thing keeping her grounded was her brother's steady hand holding hers firmly. "Mr. Garner crashed. The doctors were able to stabilize him. The thing is…it's not good. If he doesn't wake up soon, there's a chance there will be permanent damage," the woman finished and Alicia had a moment of relief. Will was still alive.

"Th_thank you for calling. I will come see him as soon as I can," she mumbled only half aware of the words coming out of her mouth. She had to go see him. She had promised Kalinda she will tell him how she really felt. Her brother was wrong, she was admitting it. She was in love with Will Gardner. She had probably been in love with him for over twenty years. Her life with Peter had done a good job keeping her love for him at bay for fifteen years. She had been happy. At times, she had even forgotten about Will Gardner. But every once in a while, memories of him came back. They always surprised her in the way they made her chest swell and her heart speed up.

She had tried really hard to make her time with Will just an affair. A break from her own drama called life. Something beautiful, but meaningless she would miss but could walk away from unscathed. She had been such a fool.

She hung up the phone and turned towards her brother. "We need to go back Owen. I am sorry, but I have to… I have to be… if something…" her voice broke.

"Hey, you have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. I understand. I will take you straight to the hospital," he said and she nodded.

"Aren't you going to phone your friend to tell him he will need to find another lawyer?" Alicia asked as Owen put the car in drive.

"Alicia, there is no friend. I lied to you to get you out of the house," he said getting out of the parking and back on the boulevard. "I knew if I just tried to be there for you, you would push me away so I had to improvise."

Alicia smiled. Then she giggled. Then she full on laughed. "When have I become so predictable?" she asked once her laughter subsided.

"I don't know if I would call it predictable. You just became so closed off. You were always guarded with your emotions. Careful not to show too much, feel too much. But after the scandal, you closed yourself even more. You have no idea how much. You didn't get angry, you didn't get too upset or too happy. It was as if you were only half alive. Then there was Will and you got that little sparkle of life back in your eyes for a while. You asked me once why mom and I are talking always about Will. Alicia, to us, it's been obvious that there was more," Owen stopped and shrugged. "It was as if he was giving you life again. But then you decided to let go of the only thing that made you utterly and undeniably happy and you became a functioning zombie again."

"I didn't_"

"I know you didn't do it on purpose," he offered.

"No, I didn't. I'm_"

Once more, Owen interrupted her before she could formulate a full sentence. "If you are going to apologize, I swear to God I am going to stop the car and pull your hair like I used to when we were little," he warned.

Alicia opened her mouth but closed it just a second later. She said nothing the whole trip back.

***Second Chances***

"Do you want me to come with you?" Owen asked.

Alicia shook her head. "No Owen, thanks. If you could stay at my apartment, just in case the kids come back earlier," she said looking at her brother hopefully.

"I will stay as long as you need me to," he said. He gave Alicia a tight, long hug she secretly enjoyed and got in the car.

Alicia took the elevator up to the fourth floor. She passed by the desk and straight to room 408. Once in front of the door she stopped. The door was ajar. She wondered if someone was with Will. One of his sisters or his mom. She didn't want to intrude. She retraced her steps and stopped at the desk.

"Hello, I am just wondering if there is anyone in Mr. Gardner's room?" she asked. The young girl looked up from her screen.

"Shouldn't be," she said and Alicia recognized her voice as the woman who had called her earlier. "His girlfriend was, but she left about an hour ago," she went on.

"His…ugh…his girlfriend?"

A tag on her heart. Different from the way she'd been feeling for the past two days. It was kind of painful, but in a more subdued way. Alicia recognized the uncomfortable feeling. Jealousy.

"Yes, young beautiful blonde," the woman behind the counter said and Alicia wished she hadn't said it.

"Yes," Alicia mumbled. "Uh, thank you for calling me. You did call me about four hours ago right?"

"Mrs. Florrick?" the woman asked and for some reason Alicia winced at the name. Yet that was her name. A name she still had because she chose to. She chose it out of fear and obligation. Owen had been right, she had been a coward.

"Yes."

"Then yes, I did call."

"Well, thank you. Can I still go see him?" she asked.

"Of course, just careful not to pull any of the tubes or wires."

Alicia nodded. She mumbled another feeble 'thank you' and made her way to room 408 once again. This time she didn't hesitate, she pushed the door open and got in. The woman from the desk had been wrong. There was someone in Will's room.

The room was in semi-dark however the bed was illuminated enough for Alicia to recognize the person standing near his bed.

"Kalinda?" Alicia asked automatically.

The young brunette turned around. Alicia was surprised to see tears on her face. She didn't think Kalinda did anything as human as cry. "I can come back later if_"

"No, I was leaving," Kalinda interrupted.

"Don't go. You don't have to."

"It's alright, I have things to do."

Kalinda stormed out as if someone was chasing her. Alicia let her go. She knew Kalinda must hate that someone had seen her vulnerable. Alicia could relate to that. She didn't like to show vulnerability either. She just wished there was something she could do. Actually, she wished Kalinda had stayed. Because she wished to share her pain with someone who understood. Someone who loved Will to. And no matter what her former best friend might say, Alicia knew the woman cared for Will. She had shown respect and loyalty. Unlike her…who had betrayed and hurt him. Kalinda deserved to be there. She deserved to cry and morn and stay by Will's bed. Alicia didn't deserve to.

Alicia made her way towards the bed hesitantly. As soon as she got close enough she let out a soft whimper. "Oh Will," she murmured. She had never seen Will like this. She had never seen him so subdued. He had always been so…alive. All fire and passion and action. Always on the move, always planning something. Now he was just lying there in that metal, immaculate white bed. White bandages all over him. Thin transparent tubes connected to his body.

Shakily, Alicia let her body fall into the small, green arm chair next to Will's bed. "Hi," she started in a trembling voice. She cleared her throat and composed herself. "You didn't miss much. Cary was so angry and upset you got hurt he won the case. Candice won Will. They settled for a retraction and 20 million. Owen tricked me into going to Detroit. I told him about us. About our time at Georgetown."

Alicia went on for another two hours. She talked about her trip with Owen. About the croissant he was obsessed with. She told him about the weather and about what she was wearing. It felt as once she started talking, she couldn't stop.

***Second Chances***

"Alicia," a gentle hand pressed against her arm. Alicia opened her eyes expecting to see one of Will's sisters or Diane.

"Mom?" she asked dazed. "What are you doing…I thought you were in…how did…" she couldn't seem to focus on one question. Her mother was there and it was throwing her off. Alicia stopped relying on her mother at a very early age. Not that Veronica had been a terrible mother, but she hadn't been the most responsible mother either.

"Owen called yesterday evening and told me what happened. We were going to come back on Monday anyway. What's two days earlier?" she smiled.

Alicia rubbed her eyes, not realizing she was smudging mascara all over her face. "I am fine mom," she whispered. Her mother leaned forward and brushed a hair off her face. The gentle, motherly gesture brought a familiar nod in Alicia's throat.

"Alicia, you're burning up. Come home, I will make some soup," her mother said standing up.

"What? You want to make soup?"

"Yes. What's wrong with soup? You used to like it when made it for you every time you got sick."

"Mom, I was five the last time you made it…"

Veronica shrugged. "So?"

Alicia rolled her eyes. She pulled a compact mirror from her bag and took a quick peek. She let out a moan. No wonder her mother wanted to make her soup. She looked dreadful. Most of her mascara was on her cheeks instead of her lashes. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and lack of sleep. Even her complexion seemed different. It was paler than usual. She looked sick alright. In truth, she felt like it too. Maybe it wasn't a bad idea to go home for a bit.

"Look, let's just go home. You can take a bath, eat and sleep a little and come back after," her mother suggested.

"Alright," Alicia agreed absently.

On her way out, Alicia brushed her fingertips over Will's hand. "I will be back," she murmured under her breath.

To Alicia's surprise, her mother had stayed quiet the whole trip home. Once they got there Veronica announced she was going to make soup and encouraged her daughter to go take a bath. After checking on Owen who was asleep in Zach's room, Alicia did just that. For the first time in her life Alicia stayed in a tub until the water turned cold and her fingers begun to prune.

She ate the 'soup' her mom had made and went to bed praying she'll be able to sleep.

"_Kalinda, is that you? What's wrong?"_

"_Alicia…it's Will, he's been shot. Will is dead…"_

The image changed and there she was, standing over Will's body. He was white as marble, covered in blood. His white shirt was ripped and a few buttons missing.

"Noooo!" Alicia screamed. She woke up abruptly with her mouth open and crying. A quick peek at the phone on her night stand informed her she had only been asleep for fifteen minutes. She took a few sips of water and went back to sleep.

This time in her dream Will was alive. He was lying next to her in bed.

"_Why didn't you want to try?" he asked in a sad voice. She tilted her head, watching him confused when blood started pouring from his mouth. "You gave up on us and now it's too late," he went on. His skin was turning paler and paler right under her eyes. _

"_No, I am sorry Will. Please don't… Oh God, please," she cried. _

Alicia woke up once again gasping for air. This time she slept nearly an hour. With a long sigh, she gave up. She got out of bed, put on a pair of jeans and a sweater. Sitting in front of the mirror, she decided to put on a bit of make-up. It was more for other people's benefit than her own. She was afraid people might run away in fright at the sight of her. So she brushed her hair, put on mascara, a bit of powder, blush and nude lipstick. Once she was satisfied, she grabbed her coat and bag. With her boots in her hand, she snuck out of her bedroom. Her mother was asleep on the couch. Alicia stopped for a second, looking at her mother's figure. She felt like a teenager. Sneaking out of the house while her mother was asleep.

After closing the door and locking it behind her, Alicia put on her boots. She tight up her coat while waiting for the elevator.

Thirty minutes later she was at the hospital, making her way towards room 408.

***Second Chances***

She had managed to sleep for over three hours. It was 5:30 in the morning when the nurse came for another check-up and woke Alicia from a weird dream in which she was wearing feathers. The poor woman had no choice but to wake her. She fell asleep holding Will's hand and the nurse needed access to his arm to check on the needle.

"It's understandable that you are here with your husband, but there is truly nothing you can do," the woman said kindly.

Alicia gave her a sad smile. "Oh I know. It's not for him, it's for me. I can't seem to sleep unless I am holding on to him."

"How long have you been married?"

"It should've been twenty years," she answered. If I would've made a different choice, she added to herself.

"We have some extra beds we keep for situations like these. I can bring it in if you'd like."

"It's very nice of you, but it's not necessary."

"How is he doing?" a third voice came from the door. Alicia looked up. She recognized the woman as one of Will's sisters.

"The same I'm afraid," the nurse answered. She turned towards Alicia again. "I will check on him again in a few hours. Let me know if you change your mind about the bed." Alicia nodded.

"Hi, I am Audrey, Will's younger sister," the woman in the doorways said after the nurse left. She made her way inside and offered her hand to Alicia.

"Yes, I know…we met earlier. Your sister was with you_"

"Oh, I am sorry," Audrey said retrieving her hand at once. "I completely spaced out for a minute."

"Don't worry about it."

"You're Alicia right?" she asked. Alicia nodded. "The school Alicia yes?"

"I imagine so. I don't remember another Alicia in our year, but I could be wrong. I wasn't exactly the social butterfly. Will was."

The young woman smiled. "That's Willy," she said.

The two women stayed quiet for a few minutes.

"He talked about you a lot," Audrey said so abruptly she startled Alicia. "He used to write to me almost every week."

"So you were his mystery correspondent. We all wondered. He wouldn't say," Alicia said smiling at the memories or her and Marc trying to get Will to tell them who he was writing letters to.

"Yeah. I was shy and a bit of a bookworm, not a lot of friends. His letters were the best part of each week back then," she looked over at the figure laying on the bed and let out a long sigh. "Anyway, he started writing about Alicia from the first letter. And with each letter after that I could tell he was falling in love with you. The way he talked about you…I could tell."

"I wrote to my brother about him," Alicia said softly.

"Really? So it wasn't one sided?"

Alicia shook her head. "No."

"What happened?"

"It's a long story."

The blonde woman took a seat in the empty armchair by the door. "I've got time," she said. So Alicia told her the same stories she had told her brother only hours before. It was like a sort of therapy, as she talked about Will, she felt closer to him. Half way through, Will's older sister Sara joined them as well. She didn't say a word. She simply got in the room, took a seat on the armrest of the same chair her sister was in and listened to Alicia talk about her brother. For hours they just talked about him. Alicia told them stories from their time in college and recent ones of their time in court. She told them about Will's triumphs. About the time Will got himself held in contempt in military court just to get more time. She told them how she'd get stuck on a case and he would help her out. And they told her stories about Will's childhood. They told her about how Will got into illegal fights to win money for a car and ended up breaking his nose. Twice. They told her about Will's first attempt baking a cake. He had made it out of Twinkies, Oreos, milk and sugar. Also, managed to burn his mother's new oven. Oh and he had been six years old.

With each story Alicia felt like she loved him more.

***Second Chances***

On Tuesday morning Alicia was on another shower break at her apartment. It was so quiet. Her brother already left and Grace was still asleep. Zach decided to spend the night at Peter's place because Peter was helping him with some project related to politics. After checking on her daughter who will not be awake for another hour or so, Alicia went to her room. She took off her clothes. They smelled like hospital. God, she felt her skin was starting to smell like a hospital too. No wonder since she was spending nearly all her time there. Alicia decided to put a load in the washing machine before jumping in the shower. Once under the pouring water, she spend over twenty minutes there. After that she took her time applying lotion all over her body, doing her eyebrows and her nails. She dried her hair and put it up in a ponytail. When she finally came out of the shower she was surprised to hear voices from the kitchen. Zach and Grace. She didn't think Zach was going to come by the apartment before school.

"You think it's because of what happened to Mr. Gardner?" her son asked.

"Of course it's because of that Zach. What do you think?"

Alicia held her breath for a few seconds and walked closer to the door. She placed her hand on the doorknob yet made no move to open the door.

"I thought her and dad were doing better, I mean it's not…"

"I know," her daughter said.

No, no, she didn't know. What did her children know and she didn't?

"They really did try, but it's not the same is it?" Grace asked. Alicia frowned. Her son's answer must've been a silent one, because he wasn't the one who spoke next. "Do you really think dad can make mom happy again?" she asked. Alicia's been wondering the exact same thing. The answer had been there all along, she had just refused to acknowledge it.

"I don't know Grace," her son answered.

"Yeah, I don't think so. It's different now. Not like before. When they look at each other, something's not right," Grace said and Alicia placed her palm against her chest. Tears started forming in her eyes. She did have smart kids. Too smart for their own good.

"You don't think mom and dad are still in love?"

"No, I don't think they are. I think they care about each other, but that's all."

"So what…you think mom's in love with this guy that used to be her boss?" Zach asked. Alicia's heart started beating faster.

"I heard mom talking with him on the phone a few times. You know, before. When her and dad first separated. She sounded…I don't know. I think she was happy. Truly happy. Like before." A few tears started pouring from Alicia's eyes. She had no idea Grace had heard her talk to Will. It must've happened during their affair. She thought she had been so careful.

"Then why is she still with dad?"

"For us I think," Grace answered and Alicia didn't know if it was a statement or a question.

"Think maybe we should tell her she doesn't have to?"

"Doesn't have to what?"

"To stay with dad for us. We're grown up enough. We don't need to be protected. We just want her to be happy."

That was it. Alicia had suspected for a while…now she was sure. She had the best children in the world.

"You think she'll listen?" Grace asked.

Alicia smiled. She whipped away her tears and pushed the door open. "Morning guys," she said with a smile. "Zach, what are you doing here? I thought you'll be going straight to school from your dad's."

"Uhh," Zach looked down for a few seconds then at his sister. "I came to pick up Grace," he finished. Bless him, he had the same tell as her when he lied.

"Ok, well go then or you'll be late," she urged.

"Yes," Grace said and rushed into her room. Probably to get her coat and school bag.

"Mom, are you ok?" Zach asked softly.

"Yes, I am fine."

"Going back to the hospital?" he asked. Alicia looked at her son guiltily. "It's ok mom. We understand," he said and she gave him a smile and a nod. Both her children hugged her tight before leaving for school.

***Second Chances***

The next day she had decided to take a nap after her shower. When she woke up she found her husband in her kitchen.

"This has gone on long enough, don't you think?" he asked. She watched him confused. "He was your friend Alicia. Not your child or your husband," Peter went on. It was starting to make sense. He was talking about Will. "You have to stop. People are starting to talk and you have to stop with the all night hospital visits and everything."

For a minute Alicia was speechless. All the time she's been mad at him for cheating, she never once thought of him as anything less than a good man. Good people made mistakes too. Not for the first time, Alicia wondered why she was doing all this. What was she sacrificing for? Apparently not for her children. According to their little chat, Zach and Grace were okay either way. So if not for herself and not for her children, why on earth was she doing it for?

"You are right. This needs to stop. I want a divorce," she said. Peter took a step back as if she pushed him with her words. "Let's face it Peter. There's no love lost between us. We care about each other, we always will. We have two wonderful children together. We have shared fifteen mostly happy years of marriage. But I think it's time to be honest. It's not working."

"This is about Will isn't it?"

"Not just about Will_"

"Don't lie!" he interrupted.

"Think what you want Peter. I am just asking you not to tell the kids until we can do it together."

"Alicia, I know I have made mistakes, but it's in the past. It's all in the past. I fell in love with you again. You stood by me, you supported me and looked after our children. After years of absence, you were brave enough to return to work and kick ass. I fell in love with you all over again."

Alicia smiled. Call her naïve, but she believed him. "I believe you Peter, I do. The problem is… after you stopped loving me for years. You stopped paying attention to me and sleeping with other woman. So while you were re-connecting and falling in love with me," she let out a sigh. "I fell in love with someone else."

The silence around them had never been louder.

"Very well," Peter finally said and without another word, he turned around and left.


	3. Chapter 3

**N: **And here is the 3rd and final chapter. I hope those of you who are still here and reading will enjoy it.

New one-shot to come next week.

I am also thinking of writing a Christmas one-shot for this magnificent couple that includes eggnog, a half-naked Santa, Christmas lights, and Alicia being arrested. I don't know what she will be arrested for yet…if you have any ideas please let me know in a review or a PM.

**Hope**

Alicia was asleep. Her head against Will's hand, twisted in a way that was sure to give her a stiff neck. Her right hand was curled underneath her head. Her left one was holding Will's. Her jet-black hair was covering half her face, as if it was a curtain, protecting her from the sharp florescent lights. Her lips were slightly parted and still moist from her tongue.

That was how Kalinda found Alicia around midnight. Slowly, Alicia opened her eyes. The figure in the doorway came into focus. "Kalinda?" she asked in a gruff whisper. The figure simply nodded. "Hey, how long have you been standing there?"

"About five minutes," Kalinda answered making her way inside the room and closing the door behind her. "That doesn't look to comfortable," she said and Alicia smiled. She straightened her upper body, stretching. Her left hand however remained on the bed, holding Will's right one.

"It isn't," Alicia admitted.

"How is he doing?" Kalinda asked.

"The same."

For about ten minutes, the two women stayed in complete silence. The only noises in the room coming from the machines. Alicia was the first to talk. "Does he hate me?" she asked out of the blue. She turned slightly to look at her former best friend.

"Alicia, I don't think he ever hated you," a short break. "I think he wanted to and tried really heard to. I think he was angry and hurt. But in the end I don't think it was ever hate."

Another pause. Alicia was softly rubbing her thumb against Will's knuckles. "I thought I could take it… you know, him hating me. I was wrong," she said sadly.

"What you did, sucked," she said and Alicia raised an eyebrow at her. "I am not trying to be moral or anything, but you really hurt him. He didn't deserve that," Kalinda said. Alicia turned to face her friend once more.

"I know," she said simply. There was no point in denying it. She stooped really low and she knew that. "I felt like I had no choice," she added. She felt like she had to explain herself. As if Kalinda was Will's defender and Alicia had to explain, had to make her understand. She had to plead her case. "I decided to stay married to Peter you see. And give our marriage another try. There were many reasons. His career, my career and most importantly, our children. Peter asked to renew our vows and I said yes. And Will was there. Peter said to go away and I said yes. Then he kissed me. Will did. It chanced nothing but it changed everything. There was this gathering…whatever event it was. I don't really remember. They all started to blend at some point. I saw Will. Only it wasn't Will. But I was seeing him everywhere. So wrong…"

"You're doing that thing where you're babbling again," Kalinda said with a confused smile.

"I know, I'm sorry."

Once again, silence fell between them. It was odd. She and Kalinda in the same room, talking to each other felt weird to Alicia. It felt weird yet familiar. Alicia had to admit, she had missed Kalinda. With her sarcasm and her ability to see through other people's bullshit. Kalinda, with her courage and her I-don't-need-nobody attitude.

"Can I ask you something?" Kalinda asked making her way closer to the bed. Alicia was now forced to look slightly upwards. She just nodded her head once. "What happened between you two in college?"

"We were friends," Alicia answered. Why was everyone suddenly so interested in her past with Will?

"Yes, I know. But something else must've happened. For a while I thought it had been unrequited, but now I am not so sure it was."

How did she do that? Alicia wondered. How could Kalinda possibly know? "No," she finally said. "Not unrequited," she admitted. "I got a major crush on him from the start. But so did half the girls in school. I was also dating Peter already. We shared a few kisses here and there drunk and on a dare. Then Peter and I had a huge fight. We didn't speak for a few weeks. That was the first time Will and I kissed without the alcohol lowering inhibitions. Christmas break came. Peter and I made up. After our graduation Will asked me to go with him to New York. I said no…"

"And here you are a quarter of a century later_"

"Hey, it's only been twenty years," Alicia protested. Kalinda laughed.

"Ok sure."

"I wanted to," Alicia said after a few minutes of silence. Kalinda raised an eyebrow. "To go with Will. To be with him. But I was…I was scared."

"Scared?" Kalinda asked confused.

"Yes. Will was this wild thing that didn't fit with my idea of…"

"Of the perfect husband material idea?" the young woman provided and Alicia simply nodded in confirmation.

"Now can I ask you a question?" Alicia asked.

"Shoot!"

"Why did you always push me towards Will? Was it just because you knew about my husband's other indiscretion… you know, because he slept with you?"

Kalinda shrugged. "It was that, yes. But also… I don't know, I got to know you and I just thought you deserved better. I watched you sacrifice yourself over and over and denying yourself what you really wanted for the sake of other people. At first it was just encouragement to have some fun. I thought you and Will just had this college crush you didn't act upon. However, the more time passed and the more I watched you two, the more I realized it wasn't just a crush," Alicia smiled. "I guess I just thought Will could make you happy. I still think Will could make you happy."

"So do I," Alicia admitted and Kalinda approved with another one of her rare genuine smiles.

"You should go home Alicia. You look exhausted. I will stay for a bit," the young woman offered.

"I would," Alicia started sadly. "But I don't know what to do with myself," she explained.

Alicia felt anxious and restless whenever she was away from Will. She kept wondering what was going on with him? What if he woke up and she wasn't there? Hell, what if he died and she wasn't there? She knew that it wasn't rational. She knew that staying there and holding his hand didn't do anything to help him. Nothing for her to do… no problem to solve. But being close to him and holding his hand in hers was bringing her comfort.

"Go do what you both love to do," Kalinda urged and Alicia looked at her confused. "Practice law," she added and Alicia understood. "Go and be a brilliant lawyer. You know that's what he would want you to do."

"Maybe," Alicia offered.

"No question about it. He loved watching you work and he was proud of you," Alicia scoffed. "Alicia, you must believe this. That no matter what happened and no matter how mad he was at you, he was always proud of you."

At Kalinda's reassuring words, Alicia's eyes watered. "Thank you," she murmured. "For saying that. It means a lot."

"Hey it's the truth."

"Still, thank you," Alicia insisted. She lowered her head to place a kiss on Will's hand. As soon as her lips came in contact with his skin, she practically jumped, straightening her upper body right away. "Will!" she called. "Kalinda, get a nurse!" she ordered. The young woman didn't wait to be told twice. She disappeared from the room and came back almost at once accompanied by a nurse. Alicia recognized the woman as Julie. A kind, elderly nurse working there part time.

"He moved," Alicia said, getting up to allow the nurse to examine Will. "He squeezed my hand just now."

"Let me check his vitals, but it all looks normal," the nurse said. Alicia and Kalinda remained by the door, giving the nurse room to check on Will. After a few minutes the woman turned around. "No change," she said.

"But, I swear he squeezed my hand," Alicia said again.

The old woman nodded. "I believe you. It happens something. The muscle contracts on its own and gives the impression of movement," she explained. Alicia smiled at the old woman as she left the room, doing her best to hide her disappointment.

"He'll come back to us Alicia, when he is ready," Kalinda said softly. Alicia nearly jumped. She had forgotten Kalinda was even there. "Go home. I will be here a while. Don't worry, I will call if there is a change. Not to mention that all the nurses here seem to like you. I am sure they will be more than happy to contact you if there's news too."

"Okay. Thanks for everything Kalinda," Alicia mumbled. She put on her jacket and grabbed her purse.

Kalinda took a seat in the newly vacated chair. "Hey, that's what friends are for. You may not consider me a friend anymore, but I do."

Alicia stopped in the doorway. She turned around at once and gave Kalinda a long look before speaking. "I do consider you my friend. I always have. That was why it hurt so much when I found out about…" she waved her hand. "Well, you know. Anyway. I am over it. After what happened with Will," she let her gaze drift towards the bed. "This thing between us seems a little less…"

"Important?" Kalinda offered.

Alicia nodded. "Yes. Not that it doesn't matter. Because it does, it's just…I have missed my friend," she admitted. And boy, it felt good to say it out loud. She had missed the young woman for so long. Many times she found herself scrolling through the contacts in her phone, wanting to call, yet she held back. But not anymore. Life was too short. Yet another lessons Will was teaching her.

"I have missed you too," Kalinda mumbled awkwardly. "Do we have to hug or something?" she asked watching Alicia with wide open eyes. If she didn't know any better, Alicia would think the young woman was finding the idea of a hug quiet revolting. But Alicia did know better. It was all an act. However, she didn't know if she was ready to 'kiss and make up' yet. Not all at once. She still needed some time.

"I will spear you the pain for now. But next time you'll owe me a proper hug," she said instead. Kalinda looked disappointed and relived all at once. The woman was a walking, talking contradiction. Alicia couldn't help but think that the people who seemed the toughest, the ones doing their best to push people away, those were the ones that needed affection the most. "See you later, ok?"

"Yeah," was all Kalinda said.

***Second Chances***

Alicia went straight home. She took a quick shower and got in bed. Luckily she managed a few hours of nightmare-free sleep before her alarm started screaming at her. Everything she did that day, she did thinking of Will. She prepared her case and went over the arguments and questions. Every now and then she would reflect on whether or not Will would've approved of her strategy. By the time she came out of court, well after lunch, Alicia felt like her old self again. Kalinda had been right. Practicing law had made her feel close to Will without physically being near him. Alicia remembered just how much she had always associated the law and being a lawyer with Will Gardner. They had been close at Georgetown. Studying together, practicing together and pairing up whenever there was a group project. Will and the law had become intertwined somehow. Alicia remembered a particularly weird mock trial they had in their second year. Her, Will and Frank had to represent Cinderella in her plea for emancipation and the right to her father's estate.

"_Will, she doesn't have to cry. Crying doesn't necessarily make a witness more believable or trustworthy. Actually_"_

"_Studies show," Will interrupted with a grin. "Go on Nerd-erella, what did you find out this time?"_

"_You're mocking me," Alicia said indignantly._

"_Only a little, because you know…you make it so easy. But I really do appreciate that big brain of yours. Especially since it always helps us win."_

_Alicia rolled her eyes. Yes, it was true. She was a bit of a bookworm. So what? So what if she chose to go by the book? "Will, if you must know. Studies show that people tend to mistrust those who cry in," she opened air-quotes using her fingers. "Opportune situations," she repeated the gesture of making quotation marks in the air._

"_Ok, no crying necessarily. Oh I know, how about some pictures," he said getting up from the big armchair. "After all, a picture is worth a thousand words right?"_

"_What do you mean?" Alicia asked confused._

"_Well, our client is asking for emancipation from her step mother based on abuse and neglect right?" he asked making his way towards her. Once again, Will had that glint in his eye. The, I-have-a-brilliant-idea glint. Which nine out of ten times turned out to be right. The guy practiced law based on instinct and gut feeling. He wasn't like anyone she had ever met. He had plenty of brains and charm to last him several lifetimes. The thing was, he also liked to gamble. Will Gardner loved to take risks. Sometimes they paid off, sometimes…not so much. But he always took risks. _

"_Yes," she answered simply._

"_Well, then all we have to do is bring proof of those. Show pictures of Cinderella's sleeping accommodations compared to those of her sisters and mother. Show her wardrobe, compared to theirs…you get the point."_

"_That's a great idea, but we still don't have a Cinderella Will!" Alicia said exasperated. Will had turned down twelve girls, because, according to him, they did not look the part. Alicia was starting to lose hope they will ever find their Cinderella. Maybe they needed the shoe first. _

Yeah, she, Will and the law went way back!

Before she knew it, Alicia was back in her office. She barely had time to settle behind her desk when someone knocked on the door.

"Come in!" she said on instinct.

Cary's head popped through the door. "You wanted to see me," he said walking into her office hesitantly.

"Ah yes, come in. Oh and please close the door," she said. Cary raised a curious eyebrow at her but said nothing. He closed the door behind him and turned around. Without waiting for Alicia to invite him, he took a seat in one of the chairs across from her. "Cary, what I am about to tell you must stay between us," she went on.

The young man nodded. "Of course Alicia. What is it?"

"I mean it Cary, not even my children know yet."

"You have my word."

Alicia took in a deep breath. "Ok. Well…I am divorcing Peter," she said. Cary didn't say anything, but gave her an understanding look. "I will need a lawyer. The only divorce lawyer we've got is Andie. Is she any good?" she waited for about three seconds. Before Cary got a chance to answer, she went on. "I know she is good, but is she good enough to handle a political, media covered divorce? Be honest with me."

"She's good, but she is not David Lee."

That was all he said and that had been all Alicia had needed from him. She understood. If she wanted the best, she will have to go beg David Lee to represent her. Or she could settle of course. The problem was, she didn't know if she wanted to settle. Not anymore. She had been settling. She had done nearly twenty years of settling. Alicia was tired of it.

"Thank you Cary," Alicia said softly. And she meant it.

"Of course."

***Second Chances***

By the time Alicia got home, she was exhausted. For the first time in over two weeks, she was looking forward to a good night sleep. She could barely remember the last time she had a restful night of undisturbed sleep. Most probably the night before she got the news about Will. She was about to take off her shoes when the doorbell rang. With a sigh, she put her left shoe back on and walked to the door.

"Eli?" she asked in surprise. She was sure it would be her brother on the other side of the door so she opened the door without checking through the peephole. "What's wrong?" she went on. Moving aside to let Eli in, she made a gesture with her hand and once he got inside she closed the door behind him. "Come in," she urged making her way into the kitchen. "Can I offer you something to drink?" she asked and opened the fridge. "I have one expired beer, some expired apple juice, milk and tomato juice. The last two are still good," she said. She turned to face her husband's campaign manager. He was just about to take a seat on one of the stools.

Eli shook his head. "I am fine thanks," he said softly. Alicia shrugged and poured herself a glass of water. "There's this ceremony on Friday, next week that I need you to attend."

Alicia's eyes opened wide, but she said nothing for a minute. She simply watched Eli. She was looking for a sign that he knew about her request to divorce Peter and was just playing coy. There was no such sign she could find.

"Peter didn't tell you?"

Eli frowned. "Tell me what?" he asked. "Did Peter already tell you about this?"

"No," she answered simply.

"I thought not. I just found out myself. I little last minute, I know, but I think we should show. It will benefit you as well. All the supreme court judges will be there, you_"

"I will take this as a no," Alicia interrupted him.

"I am sorry?" Eli asked confused.

"Eli, I asked Peter for a divorce nearly a week ago."

"A…I… no, he didn't… he didn't tell me anything."

"Yes, that's what I figured."

Eli took a moment to reflect on the statement. His first instinct was to try to talk Alicia out of it. To do what he always did, look out for his candidate's best interests. Always campaigning, always thinking off pols and voters and how things will help or damage a campaign. That didn't come as a surprise. He had been doing this for decades. It was part of who he was at this point. What _did_ surprise Eli was that a big part of him understood Alicia's decision. In a way, he even felt happy for her. Eli Gold, the ultimate campaign strategist was about to tell Alicia Florrick that she was doing the right thing. Even though the divorce would mean Peter will never win another election again. Because Eli was perfectly aware of the fact that Peter Florrick without 'saint Alicia' the good wife by his side, he was just another corrupt, lying politician with a scandal under his belt.

Yeah, Eli Gold definitely lost his mind. He had known for years that he had come to like his candidate's wife. He respected her and her opinion mattered to him. The problem was, Eli not only came to like Alicia, he had come to care for her. He cared about her well-being and happiness.

He stood up from the stool and shook his head. As if he might be able to shake away his care for the woman. Maybe go back to being the cold-blooded campaign manager that he had once been. It didn't work of course. For the first time in a very long time, Eli Gold had no idea what to say.

"You seem confused. This can possibly come as such a surprise Eli," she said. She was perfectly right of course. Eli had known from the start it was a matter of time. He had hoped to be wrong, but he had known what he was dealing with. He had always been exceptionally good at reading people. Hell, he had made a career out of it. A career based on reading people, figuring out what they wanted and predicting what they would do. He had known there was more than a fleeting affair between Will and Alicia since the first time he had seen them in the same room. He had also known that Alicia may have forgiven her husband for his indiscretions, but she would never forget. Realistically speaking, Eli had always known that statistically, over 90% of the time couples never truly recovered from cheating. And they especially didn't recover when one of the parties was falling in love with someone else.

So, no, the divorce itself was no surprise to Eli. His reaction to it was.

"A little," he admitted. Alicia gave him a short nod.

They spent another five minutes in silence. Eli was the first to speak. "I will decline based on timing. It was very short notice. And Alicia, I was…well…"

"Out with it Eli!" she urged. "Tell me how this is a mistake. Tell me Peter and I should try to fix our marriage and that I should reconsider my decision."

Eli shrugged. "It's not my place," he said.

Alicia raised an eyebrow. "That never stopped you before."

"True," he admitted. "But it will now. I just wanted to ask you for some time to come up with a strategy," she nodded. "Maybe you and Will could wait a bit before going public."

"Eli, Will is in a coma!"

"I know… but he is the reason you want a divorce right?"

"In part, yes," Alicia admitted. This time she wanted to give her relationship with Will a real shot. She wanted a fresh start, not an affair. She deserved better and Will definitely deserved better. So if Will would have her, she wanted to be his and his alone. Alicia wanted the whole thing. The public dinners, the hand holding, the walks… She wanted to lean into him each time he reached for her and kiss him whenever and wherever she felt like it. Simply put, Alicia didn't want to hide anymore. "But I am also doing it for myself. I am so tired of the charade Eli. I have been playing the role of Peter Florrick's wife for so long. I have put him and his career before myself and what I wanted and needed and I don't want to do it anymore."

Eli gave her a small smile. "I understand Alicia. You deserve to be happy. Peter's campaign is my problem, not yours. I am sorry for putting all this pressure on you."

"Thank you for understanding," Alicia said appreciatively. She only hopped other people – such as her children – felt the same way. And she hoped Peter would come to see it her way too. Speaking of Peter… "I was going to go to bed at a decent hour, but it seems I have to talk to my husband. Do you happened to know where he is?"

"He was still in the office when I left, about an hour ago."

"Thank you," she said. She grabbed her coat and they both got out waiting for the elevator.

"I am going to come with you. It seems I have some strategizing to do," he said and noticed Alicia look down as if in shame. He didn't say it to make her feel ashamed, or feel pressure. He wasn't trying to guilt her into going back to her husband again. It was simply a true fact. Alicia had been in part, if not mainly responsible for Peter's win. Their marriage had been a strong asset for the candidate. Alicia Florrick had forgiven her husband, therefore the people could forgive him too. Her renewed trust in him somehow inspired trust in others as well. Before he could change his mind, he turned to face her and spoke in a rush: "Would you be willing to do some interviews?"

Alicia smiled. She knew it was coming. Eli Gold would always think strategy. "I don't mind giving one or two interviews. I will even give a statement for papers and magazines, if you'd like. But it can't go too far Eli. I want to help Peter. I do still think he was a great state's attorney and he makes a good governor. But I can't… I won't be responsible for his career. Not anymore."

"And I won't be asking that of you. It's just that once we announce the divorce…well, there will be rumors. People might think that…that maybe he_"

"That Peter had another affair?" she offered.

"Yeah, I assume so."

"You know better than anyone how these things work Eli. I will do my best, but people like to speculate."

"Yes. Thank you…for telling me," he said. Alicia simply nodded. "See you at the office I guess," he said and walked towards his car.

***Second Chances***

Alicia took a look at her watch as she entered the building. It was already past ten PM. The place was in semi-darkness. The main lights already turned off for the day. Her husband's office door was ajar. There was a pale, yellowish light coming through. She had barely reach the door when it flew open and a young woman came rushing out, nearly knocking Alicia over. "Hi, sorry," the girl mumbled. Alicia simply shrugged.

As soon as she stepped into Peter's office, her husband jumped from the big chair behind the desk.

"Alicia what are you…it's not…she is new. I was just giving her, her access card because I am the only one still here," he mumbled in a rush.

Alicia pursed her lips, then laughed out loud. In the back of her mind, Alicia had to admit that even if Peter was having an affair, she no longer cared. "Calm down Peter. I very much doubt you are having an affair, let alone in your office with the door open. And even if you did, it would be none of my business."

"Alicia I _"

"I am here to talk about the divorce Peter," she interrupted. Peter opened his mouth then closed it right back. "I was thinking of using one of the lawyers at my firm. Unless you are planning on making it difficult. In which case I will go with my first choice. Someone with more experience. So, are you planning on making it difficult?"

For a full minute Peter didn't say anything, he just stared at her. When he spoke his tone was soft and controlled. "So you are going through with the divorce?"

She frowned. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Last time we talked about this you were upset and I was upset," he said.

"Yes. But that doesn't really change anything."

Alicia was confused. Was he trying to get her to change her mind? Was he telling her he _was_ going to make it difficult? "Peter, I haven't changed my mind if that's what you're asking," she said softly. "We tried. It didn't work."

Peter nodded. "I won't make it difficult. You won't have to worry about that."

"Thank you," she said and he gave a courteous nod. Seeing how she already said what she wanted to say and got the answer to her question, she mumbled a soft "Good night," and turned around. Her hand was on the doorknob when he spoke.

"Alicia," she turned to face her husband. "If it weren't for Will, do you think we could've made it work?"

Alicia thought for a minute. Her first instinct was to say no. Even if Will wasn't part of it, she was pretty sure her and Peter wouldn't have been able to find their way back to where they used to be. Was she still going to divorce him? Probably not. But that was not what he had asked.

"Honestly, I don't think so," she said with a sad smile that Peter returned.

Next day she started the paperwork. It had been easy considering she had started the process before with David Lee. She had known exactly what she needed and had emailed the list to Peter as well. After that it had gone very smoothly. A little over a week later they were divorced. Exactly, to the hour, one week after that Will Gardner woke up from a coma.

***Second Chances***

Alicia was in a deposition when she got the news that Will was once again conscious. Her phone vibrated softly against her palm. Alicia moved the paper just a few inches to the left to take a peek. When she saw the name of the nurse in charge of Will on the illuminated screen, she jumped up. "Sorry, it's an emergency," she said in a rush and stormed out of the conference room before anyone got the time to ask any questions. Her hands were trembling slightly when she answered the phone.

Twenty minutes. That was how long it took her to drive to the hospital. She was pretty sure she broke the speed limit. She normally disapproved of speeding, but under the circumstances… she made an exception. Once at the hospital, Alicia ran all the way to Will's usual room. It was empty.

"They moved him to a different room on the fifth floor.

Alicia turned around. "Do you know what room?" she asked.

"Room 512. The elevators_" the woman went on but Alicia was no longer there to hear her. As soon as she heard the room number she hurried out in the corridors. The staircase was closer, so she took the stairs. By the time she reached room 512, Alicia was carrying her heels in her hands and was panting for air. Not even considering that maybe someone else might be in the room, she rushed inside. Luckily no one was there. Will was prompted in a seated position on a couple of pillows, a tablet in his hands.

"Alicia?" he asked surprised.

"Will," Alicia murmured out of breath. Without another word, she rushed to his bed, wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in the crook of his neck. Hesitantly, she could feel his own arms close around her and tears of relief started pouring from her eyes. "Will I am sorry," she said softly. "I want what we had. I want to be with you, only you. Forever," she went on. He winced and she immediately pulled away. "Oh I am hurting you," she said softly. She seemed to always hurt him somehow.

"It's more the bullets that pierced through my skin," he said rearranging the hospital gown.

Alicia let out a shaky sob. "God, I missed you so much. I thought…" her voice broke a little. "I thought I lost you… oh, you scared me half to death."

"Hey, I am alright," Will said. He stretched his hand and grabbed hers.

Alicia looked around a little awkwardly. "I usually have my routine whenever I come see you." Will raised an eyebrow at her. "I read you the paper," she said pointing to the newspaper she had stuffed in her bag.

"Sounds good to me," He said.

She smiled.

"After that I tell you about my day," she went on.

Will made a gesture with his hand. "I would like to hear about your day," he said.

Alicia walked over to her bag. She picked it up from the floor and placed it on the big armchair on the other side of the room. After retrieving the newspaper, she pulled the chair closer to Will's bed and started reading.

After they were done with the news and sports – which took nearly an hour – she proceeded to tell him about her day. She told him about spilling coffee on herself in the morning and having to change. She told him about the weird beeping noise her car was making that morning and realizing her truck had been open all night long. Just when she got to the deposition she had walked out of, there was a knock on the door.

"Excuse me," a young woman said softly as she pushed the door open. "Miss Cavanaugh, your daughter is on the phone at my desk. She said not to freak but she tried your phone several times and she needs to ask you something."

"Yes, I put my phone on vibrate and left it in my bag. Thank you so much, you can tell her I will call her from my phone in a minute," Alicia said. The young woman nodded and left. When she turned back towards Will, he was watching her with wide open eyes.

"Cavanaugh? Am I missing something?" he asked.

Alicia smiled. "I got a divorce. Excuse me, I have to call my daughter but I will be right back," she said and he simply nodded.

It turned out Grace wanted to go to a friend's house after school. Alicia told her she could go. She hung up the phone and then hesitated for a minute in front of the door. Having Will back was so overwhelming. There was so much she wanted to tell him. But the man had just come out of a month long comma, she knew she must give him some time to adjust. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before pushing the door open and getting inside. This time she closed the door behind her.

"Everything ok?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes. Grace just wanted to ask if she could go to a friend's house after school to work on some project."

"Good. So…divorced uh? When did that happen?"

"It's been a week."

"Alicia I am…sorry. I mean I…I don't know what to say."

"It was nearly five years overdue. It wasn't working. And I'm…well, it turns out I am in love with someone else." Will said nothing, he just looked away for a few seconds. "It's you Will. I am in love with you," she said softly. "I have been for a while. I was just too scared to admit it. Not anymore. Life's too short. I know I had a month to process and deal with this. And we weren't in the best of terms before all this happened. I am sure you need time to_"

"No," he said interrupting her. Alicia watched him confused. "Before the shooting," he started and Alicia winced at the word 'shooting'. "We had a short recess. There was this guy. Palmer something. I was ready. With what Kalinda found, I was rebutting everything he came up with. It was looking as if he might lose, yet he didn't seem to care. I asked him about it. He said he was doing his job to the best of his abilities. If I was better and won, it was just the way the justice system worked. He told me there were more important things in life than the job you're doing. He showed me some pictures on his phone with his wife and child…" Will stopped and looked at Alicia. "I realized I wanted that too. I wanted something more. In that moment, I remembered something your mother said to me_"

"My mother talked to you? When? When did my mother talk to you?" she asked with a frown.

"Uh," Will seemed taken aback. "It must've been a few days after you left the firm. When Peter asked you to renew your vows, because she told me about it. She told me that if I loved you, it was time to stop being polite about it." Alicia blinked a few times in surprise. She had no idea that her mother had ever talked with Will. This was news to her. "Anyway. I called you during the_"

Alicia interrupted him once more. "But you didn't get to say anything because the judge was back."

"Yes."

"What were you going to tell me?" she asked. She couldn't believe she was actually getting the answer to the question that's been hunting her since the day Will got shot.

"I was going to ask you to meet me. I wanted to tell you that I wanted you back and was going to fight for you. Ask you to give us a real chance."

"Yes, yes, I want to give us a chance. If you still_"

"I do."

"Would I hurt you of I kissed you now?" she asked.

"I don't think so. And even if it hurt, I'd risk it."

***Second Chances – One year later***

"Will, have you seen my," Alicia stopped talking as she spotted Will walking her way with her folder in his hands. "Ah, thank you," she said taking the papers from his hand.

"I thought you might need it," he said after she kissed him in thanks.

He had been helping her on a case last night and she left the file with him before going to bed.

A few weeks after he came out of the coma, Will returned to work at L/G. Two months later however he announced to everyone's surprise that he was leaving the firm and was going to work as a consultant. Alicia thought he wasn't going to last a week. She'd been wrong. Here they were nearly a year later and Will was doing better than ever. It turned out there were plenty of firms, lawyers and companies that wanted to hire Will Gardner as a consultant. Since Will decided he wanted to spend more time at home, he was being very picky about the cases he took. That made people want him even more and some were willing to pay indecent amounts of money to make it happen. So, yes, business was going great for Will.

Business was going great for Alicia as well. After Will stepped down as name partner, Diane asked Alicia and Cary to join her. Alicia had gladly accepted. So Lockhart/Gardner and Florrick/Agos and Associates became Lockhart/Cavanaugh and Agos.

"Will you be late for dinner?" she asked while putting on her regular black pumps.

"Shouldn't be. I have a consultation at four. Should be done by six, six-thirty. Why?"

Alicia looked up. "I am making roasted duck," she said with a smile. She knew that was one of Will's favorite dishes. She had spent days and days making it over and over again until she became an expert at it. The first few tries were a complete disaster. Not even the stray cat they sort of adopted would eat it.

"My favorite. Then I will most definitely not be late for dinner. What's the occasion?" he asked.

"A year ago today you woke up from a month long comma. I think it's worth celebrating."

"Hm," he murmured and walked to her. Without asking for permission, without any hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. Alicia let out a soft little whimper. It's been a year. A year of him kissing her and yet every time he did, she still got a knot on her stomach and she held her breath for a few seconds. "Are you going to wear that sexy_" Alicia stopped him from finishing the sentence by placing a finger against his mouth.

"Shh," she said and pointed towards Grace's room.

"I thought she was staying with Peter before the trip?" he asked in a whisper.

"They had a fight. She came in last night and asked if it was ok to sleep here her last night before the trip. You were already asleep."

"What happened? You should've woken me up."

Alicia watched him in adoration. Grace and Will had taken to each other like fish to water. He thought her how to play guitar. They started going to church together every Sunday. He had helped her buy her first car. An old truck they worked on together. Somehow Grace had talked Will into painting it purple.

Both her children had been incredibly supportive once she and Peter told them about the divorce. Alicia was extremely proud of them.

"I am sure it's nothing. But you can ask her all about it on the way to the airport. I promised her you will drive her in…" Alicia looked at her watch. "Damn I am late," she said and grabbed her coat.

"Uh, Leesh, you still didn't tell me what time I am supposed to take Grace to the airport."

"In two hours," she said with a grin. "I have to go. Gotta be in court in twenty minutes." She almost reached the door when she turned around abruptly. She practically ran into his arms and kissed him. "I love you," she said softly against his lips.

"Love you too," he answered.

***Second Chances***

Alicia rearranged the table three times before she was satisfied. She wanted everything to be perfect. As if on cue, just as she lit the last candle, her phone rang. Thinking it must be Will calling to let her know he'd be late, she answered at once, without checking the caller ID.

"Did you do it yet? Did he say yes?"

Alicia rolled her eyes. "No Owen. He is going to be home any minute now, so I will call you tomorrow_"

"Tomorrow," he interrupted. "But I wanted to be the first to congratulate you."

"I promise you will be my first call. Now I have to go, this necklace doesn't work with this dress," she said.

"Alright, alright."

"Owen," she said with a big smile. "Thank you for everything."

"Hey, you did all the work, I simply offered my taste buds."

"Yes, but I am sure the first attempts had_"

Once more her brother interrupted her before she got to finish the sentence. "Let's not talk about the dark days," he said and she laughed.

They said goodbye for another five minutes. As soon as she hung up, Alicia rushed to her jewelry box to change her necklace. She knew she was being paranoid, but she was nervous. Making sure everything was perfect was the only way Alicia knew to deal with nerves.

When she heard the entrance door and Will's voice greeting her, Alicia held her breath for a few seconds. She did not have butterflies in her belly. No, she could swear they were giant flying monkeys on cocaine. "It smells amazing," she heard him say as she made her way towards the dining room. Once he got a look at her, he's jaw dropped and a foolish grin settled on his face. Alicia was sure she had the same silly grin on her own face.

"Dinner will be served in ten minutes, you can go wash your hands," she said.

"Yes mam."

Alicia waited with anticipation for Will to try the food. "Damn, it tastes…it tastes just like my moms," he said after the first bite.

"Yes, that's the point. It's the same one your mom used to make on your birthdays. Sara gave me the recipe."

"Sara?"

"Yes. She likes me now."

Will took another bite and closed his eyes chewing it slowly. "I never thought she didn't," he said after he swallowed and took a sip of wine.

"Oh she didn't. Not until she realized I am hopelessly and completely in love with her little brother."

When they finally finished dinner and desert, Alicia cleared her throat. "Will, I need to ask you something," she said softly. Her hands started shaking slightly so she intertwined her fingers.

Will frowned. "Alicia, we promised to be honest with each other. I intend to always be honest with you. You can ask me anything."

Alicia nodded. She took another sip of wine. "William Paul Gardner, will you marry me?"

She didn't need words. The look on his face as he stood up and made his way towards her said it all. He pulled her in his arms. "Nothing would make me happier," he murmured against her lips before kissing her. He kissed her in that way only he could. In a way that made her forget her own name. A name she will soon share with him.

THE END


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